Human Trafficking: Considerations for Law Enforcement Professionals

Linda Majeska Powers serves as the Legal Director for the Ohio Human Trafficking Initiative. In her role, Linda assists task forces, criminal investigators and prosecutors in the criminal prosecution of human trafficking cases. Linda provides specialized instruction and training for law enforcement and prosecutors centering on best practices in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases. She also conducts community outreach on the subject of human trafficking. She previously served as a senior assistant attorney general in the Consumer Protection Section, where she specialized in prosecuting cases of elder and disabled financial exploitation, public corruption and complex white-collar fraud cases as a member of the Economic Crimes Unit. Before joining the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, she was a prosecutor with the City of Elyria. Linda earned a Juris Doctor from the Western Michigan-Cooley College of Law, while she served with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office in the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan and founded the Crime Victim Advocacy Office in the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office. Linda received a dual degree from Michigan State University in the majors of James Madison-Justice, Morality and Constitutional Democracy and a Criminal Justice degree.

Mary Kate Waggoner is a licensed independent social worker, and two-time graduate of the University of Akron. She is passionate about serving marginalized and victimized populations through advocacy work, and the development of effective programs and systems! Her expertise is in providing trauma-informed care to survivors of sexual violence, with a special focus on victims of human trafficking. She is also experienced in program development, policy writing, federal grant management, consulting, and training. Mary Kate has served professionally in the anti-trafficking field as a Crisis Intervention Specialist, and as the Coordinator of the Summit Regional Human Trafficking Task Force. She currently serves as the Anti-Human Trafficking Victim Advocate for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, where her focus areas are strengthening victim services for human trafficking survivors and providing training and technical assistance for anti-trafficking organizations and groups across the state of Ohio.

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