WAUKEGAN – In January, the Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group conducted a multiday human trafficking suppression operation to suppress the demand for purchased sex.
The Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group joined a coalition of law enforcement agencies in a nationwide operation specifically targeting customers of prostitutes known as “Johns.” Many of the individuals selling sex are not doing so willingly; a large number are being forced into involuntary servitude.
This was a web-based operation and used classified advertising websites, regularly used as a medium for prostitution. When the “Johns” arrived and offered money to the undercover detectives for sexual acts, they were arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail, according to a news release.
Over the past nine years, this nationwide effort has led to the arrests of more than 10,000 “Johns” and sex traffickers.
Arrested at a hotel in the Gurnee area:
• Salvador Vicario, 61, of the 3000 block of 17th Street, North Chicago
• Gregory D. Pahl, 53, of the 12400 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, Wisconsin
• 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
All of the individuals arrested were charged with one count of solicitation of a sexual act (Class A misdemeanor). All must appear in court in Waukegan.