The trafficker was originally charged on August 8, 2010 following arrest with one count of involuntary servitude, a Class X felony; one felony count of trafficking of persons for labor or services; one count of unlawful restraint; one count of pandering; one count of possession of a controlled substance – heroin; and one count of possession of a controlled substance – cocaine. He was convicted May 3, 2011 following a three day jury trial on felony charges of Involuntary Servitude, Trafficking in Persons for Forced Labor or Services and Pandering and faced up to 30 years in prison. His final sentencing by Cook County Judge William lacy was an 18 year prison term. This is the second time this year the Sheriff’s Vice Unit has charged someone for human trafficking, but he was the first person convicted in Cook County under the updated laws against human trafficking. Sheriff Dart thanked the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit for their assistance in the case. His conviction was the result of efforts by State's Attorney Alvarez's new Human Trafficking Initiative Unit, which worked in cooperation in this case with Cook County Sheriff's Police. "Today's sentence represents a significant achievement in our new efforts to investigate and prosecute the crime of human trafficking, which is occurring in our own backyard," said State's Attorney Anita Alvarez in a release today. “Human trafficking is a problem that is becoming more prevalent in our communities and it is a crime that no woman or child should be subjected to,” said Alvarez. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute offenders who are forcing victims to sell themselves and help victims seek the help they need.”
Location
United States · Chicago, Illinois, Elk Grove Village, Cook County · 2011
(location generalized to protect survivors) Response & intervention
The Cook County Sheriff’s Police Vice Unit arrested the trafficker after responding to a suspicious ad posted on the Escorts section of the website Backpage.com. The ad contained solicitations such as “Sexy Crystal is here to please and pamper you”, “Call me before 1 a.m. and get your discount”, and “Girlfriend experience”. After responding to the ad, police were directed to an Elk Grove Village motel, where they discovered he was operating a prostitution ring through coercion. Police found more than $2,700 in cash, six cameras and a laptop computer in his motel room. Also recovered were small amounts of crack cocaine and heroin, which were locked in the motel room’s safe, according to the release. Authorities allege the trafficker threw the safe key out of the motel window when police arrived. Officers found one of the women in the motel room, the release said. The trafficker was arrested with a second woman in a room across the hall. The third woman was found at a nearby motel.
The victims are currently held in a safe location provided by the Sheriff's Department of Women's Justice Services. All other aftercare is unknown.
Sheriff's Department of Women's Justice Services out of a collaboration with the State's Attorney's Human Trafficking Initiative Unit.
The trafficker was arrested in August 2010 by Cook County Sheriff's Police and the department's Vice Unit in a surveillance and sting operation in Elk Grove village. This was following a joint investigation by investigators in the State’s Attorney’s Human Trafficking Initiative Unit and Cook County Sheriff’s Police Vice officers under new initiatives created by the State’s Attorney’s office to combat the problem of domestic human trafficking. Under the new initiative, Cook County prosecutors work with law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local level on long term investigations and assist social service providers with securing services for women and children who are victims of human trafficking. The Human Trafficking Initiative Unit from the state's attorney’s office, including assistant state's attorneys Beth Pfeiffer and Matthew Thrun, had worked on the case in cooperation with the Cook County Sheriff's Police.
Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don't have a verifiable source on file yet — use “Report a problem” below to add one.