27 men arrested in human-trafficking suppression initiative

WAUKEGAN – In a continued effort to combat human trafficking, the Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group conducted a two-day human-trafficking suppression operation focused on reducing the demand for purchased sex.

A total of 27 men were arrested during the operation, according to a news release.

The operation specifically targeted individuals trying to buy sex through online classified advertisements, a tactic regularly used by traffickers to market victims of human trafficking, according to the release.

Undercover detectives posed as individuals offering sex for money. When the offenders arrived at a Gurnee-area hotel and offered money for sexual acts, they were arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail.

“While some may perceive prostitution as a consensual transaction between adults, experience and investigative work have consistently shown that many individuals being sold for sex are not participating willingly,” the sheriff’s office said. “Traffickers often force victims into prostitution through physical violence, manipulation, fraud or coercion. Many of these victims are vulnerable and live in fear of the repercussions they’ll face if they do not comply, often being forced to surrender any money they receive to their trafficker.”

“These operations are about protecting victims and holding sex buyers accountable,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in the release. “Suppressing the demand is a critical piece of dismantling the human-trafficking pipeline. If there is no buyer, there is no market.”

Authorities said two of the offenders resisted arrest during the operation. One instance resulted in minor injuries to an officer, and the other caused damage to a hotel hallway.

Arrested during the operation were:

• Abelardo A. Velasquez, 30, Beach Park

• Robert L. Rowels, 39, Ingleside

• James A. Kavinsky, 30, Niles

• Jamir D. Holmes, 20, Zion

• Mathew Reynolds, 23, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

• Jesus S. Munoz, 35, Woodstock

• Hakeem A. Moore, 22, Great Lakes

• Jesus Navarrete-Vega, 30, Gurnee (He also was charged with resisting a police officer and criminal damage to property, both Class A misdemeanors.)

• Jesus M. Valdez, 28, Zion

• Tyree R.L. Alexander, 32, Gurnee

• Alexis M. Lopez, 31, Park City

• Adrion E. Reynolds, 21, Park City

• Eryk P. Plawinski, 26, Algonquin

• Daevieon Garland, 21, Waukegan

• Joshua L. Powell, 34, Libertyville

• Daniel Corona, 29, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

• Deybys Matute Moncada, 31, Zion (He also was charged with resisting a peace officer resulting in injury, a Class 4 felony, and aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony, after kneeing a detective in the face and causing injury, authorities said.)

• Charles A. Lintner, 35, Johnsburg

• Argyll Piansay, 61, Gurnee (He also was charged with attempted possession of a controlled substance – cocaine, a Class A misdemeanor.)

• Andre L. Harevey, 41, North Chicago

• Ryan P. Gibbs, 26, Libertyville

• Ubaldo L. Sanchez, 28, Waukegan

• Jonathan R. Litson, 45, Gurnee

• Essodong Tchakpala, 25, Round Lake Beach

• Adam S.W. Porwit, 26, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin

• Carl R. Weber, 35, Muskego, Wisconsin

• John Garcia, 53, Kenosha, Wisconsin

All those arrested, unless otherwise noted, were charged with one count of soliciting a sexual act. They were cited, processed at the Lake County Jail and released pending a court date, according to the release.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Gurnee Police Department and Naval Criminal Investigative Service for their partnership during the operation.