WARREN — Hubbard Township Trustee Jason Tedrow accused Trumbull County Commissioner Rick Hernandez of repeatedly lying to township residents about his knowledge of the activities that were happening at 180 Youngstown Hubbard Road, which is a building the commissioner owns in the township.

Tedrow, during the commissioners’ public-comment period of their weekly meeting, said he believes Hernandez should resign his position as a county commissioner for the shame he has brought to himself and Hubbard Township.

“You’ve lied and concealed illegal activity in our community while continuing to profit from it,” Tedrow said. “You allowed it to reopen knowing what was transpiring on the property.”

The trustee questioned why the commissioner had two sheriff’s deputies attend Wednesday’s meeting “to protect him from his constituents’ criticisms.”

Tedrow said that Hernandez’s continued lies about what was happening in the facility aided and abetted in its continued operations.

Tedrow was referring to the 3C Foot Spa, which was raided by the Hubbard Police Department and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force in August and again in February.

The business operator, identified in a police report as Furong Li of Flushing, New York, was arrested and charged with solicitation, prostitution and practicing medicine without a license during a Feb. 28 raid.

Melissa Wade, another Hubbard resident, spoke in support of Tedrow’s comments.

Hernandez did not respond to Tedrow’s accusations during the commissioners’ meeting.

However, after the meeting, he said he understood the frustrations. Prior to being elected as a Trumbull County commissioner, Hernandez was a Hubbard Township trustee.

“I understand their feelings,” Hernandez said. “It has not been easy for me this whole process. I’ve listened to my legal counsel, who advised me to do what I did, in the way that I did it.”

Henandez said he was not aware of the illegal activities happening in the building. However, according to a Hubbard Police Department police report, he was approached by Hubbard police Chief Robert Thompson and Detective Michael Benic and was told solicitation was happening in the business after the August raid.

Hernandez, according to the police report, said he was charging $1,200 rent.

Banic, according to the police report, told Hernandez he was the best person to stop what was happening in his building. At the time, however, Hernandez responded their lease would not end until December 2024.

On Wednesday, Hernandez said he could not evict Li from the building until she either was charged with a crime or the lease ended.

“I did my due diligence,” Hernandez said. “That’s what I was waiting for.”

“Hearing from my attorney, you just can’t just throw people out,” Hernandez said. “You can be brought to court for several different things, including breaking your lease and discriminatory offenses.”

When he was approached by police, Li had not yet been arrested or charged.