A former Lorain County elected official was among five people arrested last Thursday for
prostitution-related charges.
The Wood County Sheriff’s Office and Bowling Green Police Division carried out a vice operation in the
1600 block of East Wooster Street Thursday night. Among those arrested was Vincent Urbin, of Avon Lake.

Urbin, 52, is the former mayor of Avon Lake, where he was convicted in 2001 on charges including
tampering with evidence, complicity to tampering with evidence, and two counts of unlawful interest in a
public contract, according to the Chronicle-Telegram of Lorain County. For those offenses, he served 90
days in jail and three years of probation, and had his criminal record sealed in March of last year.
In the Bowling Green arrest, he pleaded no contest Friday to the charge of soliciting, and was found
guilty by Bowling Green Municipal Court Judge Mark Reddin. Urbin must pay a $635 in fines and court
costs by Aug. 3, or return to court.
Also arrested June 30 were Michelle Wainwright and Esperanza Ledesma, both of Toledo; Sarah Rupert,
Oregon; and Rodolfo Benitez, New Bremen.
Lt. Jamie Webb of the sheriff’s office said Rupert, 25, was charged with both promoting prostitution and
soliciting sexual activity for hire. She appeared in court Friday and pleaded not guilty to the
soliciting charge, and is scheduled to be in court Monday on the charge of promoting prostitution.
Wainright, 25, and Ledesma, who turns 20 today, are scheduled to appear in municipal court on July 20 on
charges of soliciting sexual activity for hire.
Benitez, 30, appeared in court Friday and pleaded no contest. He was found guilty and has until Aug. 3 to
pay $635 in fines and court costs.