3 Toledo men caught in Columbus sex trafficking sting sentenced

The last of three men from the Toledo area who were arrested last year in Columbus for suspected sex trafficking in a statewide sting has taken a plea deal and been sentenced.

Columbus police and the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force arrested the three men on Aug. 19, 2022, on suspicion they were trafficking a 16year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman for sex.

Mic’khi Campbell, Amarrieon Jackson and Lakei Darrington, all 20 years old, were found by undercover officers with the girl and the woman and arrested at a hotel on Columbus’ Northeast Side.

All three men were originally charged in Franklin County Common Pleas Court with trafficking in persons, compelling prostitution and promoting prostitution, but have since taken plea bargains.

Judge Kim Brown sentenced Campbell on Friday to 2 years of community control, also known as probation, after Campbell pleaded guilty on July 24 to a single count of promoting prostitution. Campbell spent nearly a year in jail for this case.

Campbell’s defense attorney, Mark Hunt, said Campbell did not realize the victims in the case for which he is charged was 16 and took money to provide her a ride.

Brown previously sentenced Darrington on July 21 to 2 years of community control after he pleaded guilty on April 26 to promoting prostitution. Darrington spent about nine months in jail for this case.

Jackson pleaded guilty on June 13 to a single count of attempted trafficking in persons and was the only defendant to receive prison time.

Jackson’s attorney, Jeffrey Basnett, said during Jackson’s sentencing hearing on July 7 that the 16-year-old victim was “precocious” and the “mastermind” behind the scheme. Basnett said Jackson was only providing rides.

“She was 16 and he should’ve known better and he realizes this,” Basnett said.

Judge Brown said she took issue with Jackson’s attitude about his crime. She sentenced Jackson to an indefinite prison term of 3 years to 4 years. He had spent more than 300 days in jail, which will count toward his prison time.

The men were caught after investigators searching for human trafficking victims in online escort advertisements found an ad for sex with a then-16-yearold girl from Toledo.

Undercover Columbus police officers set up a sting at a hotel on the 3600 block of Morse Road on the city’s Northeast Side. According to Columbus police, detectives saw the 16-year-old girl get out of a black Saturn Aura. Uniformed officers stopped the car around 6 p.m. and found four people inside: Campbell, Jackson, Darrington and a 19year-old woman police say also was trafficked.

The three men were among dozens arrested on Aug. 19, 2022 across the state, in a statewide operation dubbed “Time’s Up,” led by the state Attorney General’s office.

All three men are required to register as Tier I sex offenders. jlaird@dispatch.com @Lairdwrites