YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Major League Baseball umpire Brian O’Nora was arrested this weekend as a part of a human trafficking sting. The operation targeted people seeking to purchase sex through the Internet.
A person with knowledge of the incident confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that the suspect was O’Nora. The person requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue. The arrest has also been confirmed with several news organizations.
O’Nora, 57, and 13 other men were arrested Sunday in Youngstown, Ohio, and charged with soliciting, a third-degree misdemeanor, and possessing criminal tools, a first-degree misdemeanor, announced Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Liberty Township Police Chief Toby Meloro.
According to the Mahoning Valley Human trafficking Task Force, who worked with the Liberty Township Police Department, the arrests were made when the men arrived at a local hotel to pay for sex, USA Today reported.
“John stings deter those seeking to purchase sex — reducing the demand for human trafficking — and serve as a reminder that these crimes are more prevalent and closer to home than you may think,” Yost said Monday, according to TMZ.
O’Nora joined the Major League Baseball in 1999 and has worked multiple division playoff series, three all-star games — including the 2019 All-Star Game in Cleveland — the 2008 American League Championship Series and the 2012 World Series.
It’s unclear whether MLB will take further action against O’Nora since they declined to comment on his arrest.
