As part of what was described as a nationwide effort, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday it participated in a human trafficking suppression operation that nabbed 14 men who offered money for sex at a Gurnee hotel.
According to a statement, the office’s Special Investigations Group conducted a multi-day operation utilizing classified advertising websites that are regularly used for prostitution. When the “Johns” arrived at the hotel and offered money to undercover detectives for sexual acts, they were arrested.
“Human trafficking is a significant problem which exists everywhere, even right here in Lake County. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office makes it a priority to do everything we can to suppress the demand of purchased sex,” Sheriff John Idleburg said in the statement.
The statement added that over the past nine years, the nationwide effort led to the arrests of more than 10,000 total “Johns” and sex traffickers. Many of the individuals selling sex are not doing so willingly, with a large number are being forced into involuntary servitude, according to a news release.
All of those arrested were charged with one count of solicitation of a sexual act, which is a class A misdemeanor, and must appear in court in Waukegan.
Arrested were:
Salvador Vicario, 61, of the 3000 block of 17th Street, North Chicago
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Gregory D. Pahl, 53, of the12400 block of 336th Avenue, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
Carlos Reyes-Velez, 36, of the 12800 block of West 28th Street, Beach Park
Mark K. Volpe, 62, of the 300 block of Oak Terrace Avenue, Highwood
Steven P. Wilt, 62, of the 2200 block of Cardinal Court, Gurnee
Pedro Mendez-Gonzalez, 51, of the 400 block of North Pioneer Road, Waukegan
Timothy D. Christian, 37, of the 2000 block of Miraflores Avenue, Waukegan
Gustavo A. Cornelio-Garcia, 25, of the 1200 block of 34th Street, Zion
Roger C. Jimdar, 31, of the 3300 block of 15th Street, Kenosha
John Powell, 38, of the 700 block of Mill Court, Waukegan
Sean A. O’Reilly, 43, of the 8900 block of Woodbridge Drive, Greendale, Wisconsin
Jay Sawyer, 58, of the 4100 block of Chester Drive, Glenview
Kyle E. Macgibbon, 59, of the 15500 block of West Timber Lane, Libertyville
Gregory J. Mason, 53, of the 2200 block of Hunters Court, Spring Grove