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Four suspects indicted in connection with Blue Ash prostitution ring

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BLUE ASH, Ohio -- A Hamilton County grand jury indicted four people on charges of running a prostitution ring out of a Red Roof Inn on Thursday.

According to the indictment filed by Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters, 32-year-old Marcus Phillips and 48-year-old Michael Ingram compelled at least two women to exchange sex for drugs and money.

Ingram, a police affidavit said, acted as a go-between for the group: He rented a pair of rooms from a Blue Ash Red Roof Inn on Pfeiffer Road between Nov. 19 and Dec. 30 so that Mariah Boyle, 23, and Ashley Durham, 28, could meet with clients inside. He paid in cash for the rooms each day, a hotel employee told police.

Jamie Wilhoite lives and works in Blue Ash, and he said incidents like this don’t happen in his hometown.

“That’s news to me -- I wasn’t aware that happened -- but yeah that’s pretty strange for this area,” Wilhoite said. 

The four suspects face a total of 17 separate charges related to human trafficking, prostitution and possession of drug paraphernalia. Phillips and Ingram are charged with trafficking, compelling and promoting prostitution and trafficking drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl. All are expected in court on Jan. 6, 2017.