Detroit, MI, United States
Nine people worked to traffic Eastern European women to work as exotic dancers in Detroit-area strip clubs. Michail Aronov is believed to be the leader of the operation. The group used the business Beauty Search, Inc. as a cover to recruit women. The victims were then smuggled into the U.S. and forced to work as dancers in the clubs. The business partners referred to their plan for intimidation as “The System.” This involved taking the victims’ passports, imposing debts and monetary penalties, enforcing strict rules, and physical and verbal violence and threats. They also threatened to expose the victims as illegal immigrants. An escaped victim’s car was firebombed and used as a threat to others as the consequences of escape.
Location
United States · Detroit, MI · 2005 (location generalized to protect survivors)
Response & intervention
In total, nine men were sentenced as being involved with the human trafficking ring. Michail Aronov was convicted of conspiring to violate Eastern European women’s civil rights by forcing them to work as exotic dancers in strip clubs in the Detroit-area. He was also convicted of immigration and money laundering conspiracies, and ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution to the victims. Aleksander Maksimenko was ordered to reimburse the victims approximately $1.5 million and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Another associate, Duay Jado, was sentenced to 46 months in jail on charges of interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises. Evgeniy Prokopenko and Alexander Bondarenko were also sentenced to serve time in prison and deportation for visa fraud (they took part in sham marriages to obtain visas for the victims).
Arrests were made in February, 2005. The case was investigated by ICE, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, and the State Department Diplomatic Security Service.
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.