GIRARD — A Major League Baseball umpire who was targeted in a late 2020 buying-sex-via-the-internet sting in Liberty Township has pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges.

According to Girard Municipal Court records, Brian O’Nora, 58, of 5265 Nashua Drive, Austintown, pleaded guilty March 18 to two amended counts of disorderly conduct.

Judge Jeffrey Adler fined O’Nora a total of $500 and court costs for both counts, which are fourth-degree misdemeanors. The defendant also agreed to pay $750 to the Liberty Police Department’s drug funds.

The court record showed O’Nora entered a written plea in absentia because of his work as a Major League umpire in baseball spring training in Arizona and Florida. He was granted permission by the judge on Feb. 17 to file the written plea.

O’Nora was one of 14 men arrested in December during a human-trafficking sting operation, targeting individuals seeking to buy sex via the internet. The original charges against O’Nora were possession of criminal tools, a first-degree misdemeanor, and soliciting, a third-degree misdemeanor, court records show.

The court record notes O’Nora was cooperative and forthright with law enforcement during his arrest.

In making arrests at a township hotel, Liberty police had assistance Dec. 6, 2020, from the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, Austintown Police Department, Youngstown Police Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.