Meadville woman charged with labor trafficking, involuntary servitude at Mifflin County business

Sep. 2—LEWISTOWN — A Meadville woman is being held in jail in Mifflin County on charges of labor trafficking and involuntary servitude involving four underage girls at a vehicle detailing shop she owns in Lewistown.

Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office arrested and charged Ellen Cummings on Tuesday in connection with an investigation that began in 2020.

Cummings, 44, of 15554 Rogers Ferry Road, is charged with seven counts of involuntary servitude, four counts of labor trafficking, two counts of unlawful restraint, two counts of false imprisonment involuntary servitude, three counts of nonpayment of wages, one count of attempted nonpayment of wages, and one count of conspiracy.

Police allege Cummings employed, but didn't pay the four girls — ages 15, 16, 17 and 18 — for work they did from February 2019 and October 2020 at Tip Top Resources/Go2Detailing, according to the arrest affidavit.

Cummings ran the business with her boyfriend, Scott Mogel, who now is deceased, according to the affidavit.

The investigation by state police and the attorney general's office found Cummings and Mogel had forced minors, including two foster children in their care from Meadville as well as Cummings' own daughter, to work at their business without being compensated.

Police allege two of the girls were forced to work at the business, forced to live at the business where they slept on air mattresses, and that their movements were restricted.

The state police investigation began in September 2021 when Lewistown Police Department passed along allegations of labor trafficking and involuntary servitude.

The department had started an investigation in 2020 after family members of one of the girls learned of the alleged abuse and contacted police.

According to the affidavit, one of the girls, who was 17 at the time, said she was being forced to work at the business without pay and forced by Cummings and Mogel to stay there.

The affidavit said the girl told police that she had met Cummings' son in Crawford County through a mutual friend. The girl told police that after a few days of dating she agreed to move with him to Lewistown to work at the business.

The girl told police that she detailed vehicles, and did both mechanical and office work, but didn't receive any financial compensation, but Cummings did paid her cellphone bill at least once, the affidavit said.

The girl told police that food was locked in cabinets and she only was able to have meals at specific times.

The girl described "cameras everywhere" and her movements were watched, the affidavit said. The girl told police that her cellphone was taken from her to prevent her from contacting family. Further, she could only leave the property when accompanied by Cummings, Mogel or the son and later it became just Cummings or Mogel.

The girl told police that she became pregnant while living at the detailing business, and wrote in emails to a friend that she was not allowed to see a doctor.

The affidavit said police later learned there were two female foster children Cummings used or attempted to use to work at the business. Cummings told investigators that she was a licensed foster parent in Allegheny County.

One of the foster girls said she was at the business and was directed by Cummings to wash cars, the affidavit said. The girl told police that she was only in Lewistown for about a week, and had to sleep on air mattresses with Cummings' children.

The foster girl told police that she knew her rights as a foster child and refused to work at the business, the affidavit said. Cummings and Mogel then sent her back to Meadville.

The foster girl told police that she felt Cummings and Mogel had controlled all aspects of her life while she was there.

The second foster girl told police that she was placed in Cummings' care by Allegheny County Children and Youth Services, the affidavit said. The girl said she initially lived with Cummings in Meadville before they were in Lewistown.

The girl told police that she agreed to work at the business, but wasn't paid or given other compensation. She also told investigators that she and others slept in one room with an air mattress.

Cummings' own daughter told police that she had worked at the business, but still was owed about $1,000 by Cummings for work, the affidavit said. The daughter also described cameras watching her and being tracked by Cummings.

Cummings was arrested Wednesday and arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Jack Miller of Lewistown. She was placed in the Mifflin County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500,000 bond and faces a preliminary hearing on the charges before Miller on Sept. 30.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .