Five arrested in Othello trafficking investigation
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
The Othello Police Department arrested five men in a sex trafficking investigation recently.
COURTESY PHOTO/OPD
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | May 7, 2025 1:00 AM
OTHELLO — Five men were arrested on suspicion of attempting to patronize a prostitute during an operation conducted recently in Othello, according to a release from the Othello Police Department. The announcement was made May 2.
The men arrested were Thomas Laney, 71, Moses Lake; Bernadino Vega, 36, Ephrata; Joseph Anthony Kempf, 64, Connell; Grurkarn Singh Gill, 40, East Wenatchee and Jeffrey Naegle, 40, Kennewick, according to the OPD release.
“Additionally, three women were contacted, interviewed and provided resources by New Hope, Moses Lake. The detectives’ digital forensic analysis uncovered evidence that at least one woman was trafficked, prompting an ongoing investigation into the trafficker’s identity,” the release said.
A case is considered sex trafficking when an individual is compelled to perform commercial sex by force, fraud or coercion, according to information from the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
People are victims of sex trafficking if they want to end involvement in commercial sex but feel scared or unable to leave their situation, the NHTH said, or are reluctant to engage in commercial sex but are pressured into it. People who work in an industry where they may be pressured into performing sex acts for money might be victims of sex trafficking.
There may also be clues that people are victims of sex trafficking from the people around them, the NHTH website said. A person who has someone in their life who doesn’t allow them to talk to or meet anyone alone, or who monitors movement or communications, could be at risk.
People who live where they work, or who are transported between work and home in the company of a guard, may be sex trafficking victims, it said.
Helping hands:
If you suspect someone you know is being trafficked or you are being trafficked, help is available by contacting the National Human Trafficking Hotline:
Web: HumanTraffickingHotline.org
Phone: 888-373-7888
TTY: 711
Text: 233733
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