Oct 2, 2015 3 min read

A South Strabane Township business that advertised itself on a website as a massage parlor and modeling studio was shut down Thursday after township police and several other law enforcement agencies served a search warrant following an investigation started several months ago into complaints about prostitution.

Studio 19 on Davis School Road just off Route 19 (Washington Road) was effectively closed after township police were joined by state police, detectives with the Washington County District Attorney’s office and the Washington police K-9 unit in serving the warrant, said township police Chief Donald Zofchak. The business was open at the time of the raid.

Found inside during the search were items indicative of a brothel, as well as surveillance cameras, heroin, prescription drugs including Opana and Xanax, hypodermic needles and other drug paraphernalia, condoms and cash, police said. Township police said they learned from other police agencies that some of the women working at Studio 19 were using heroin.

South Strabane police started getting complaints from residents about prostitution some months ago. Zofchak said officers would regularly see scantily-clad women around the building late at night. The chief said his officers were called to the business for disturbances and noted the configuration of the interior was framed to form walls.

Studio 19 advertises itself on a website as a massage and modeling business in the area of the “Washington casino.” The studio is about a mile from The Meadows Casino on Racetrack Road in North Strabane Township. Directions on the site indicate it was a block south of Racetrack Road. Visitors are directed to make a left turn into the parking lot and look for the building on the right with a red door. No appointment was necessary, and clients had their choice of models. The price for services ranged from $110 for a half-hour to $170 for an hour, the site indicated.

Zofchak said one of the women working at the business told a township official they did manicuring and hair extensions.

“They seem to have been catering to casino clientele,” Zofchak said, adding police in Allegheny County encountered similar problems around the Rivers Casino. “That is South Strabane’s benefit of having a casino in our neighboring community.”

Because several township officers previously responded to calls at the business and were known to some of the women there, Zofchak said his department had to enlist help from other agencies to conduct the investigation. During the lengthy investigation, Zofchak said police were able to identify workers and some customers.

“Needless to say, there were a few surprises,” Zofchak said, adding at this point, he does not expect any of the clients of the business to be charged. “We do appreciate all of the help we got from the other agencies.”

Zofchak does not expect the business to reopen, but if it does, the township will seek an injunction to close it permanently.

Arrests are pending, police said.