14 Men Arrested In Human Trafficking Sting At Gurnee Hotel

LAKE COUNTY, IL — More than a dozen men were arrested at a hotel in the Gurnee area after an investigation into human trafficking, according to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's office. The multi-day human trafficking suppression operation was carried out last month by the Lake County Sheriff's Special Investigations Group and led to the arrest of 14 men from Illinois and Wisconsin.

The special investigations group joined a coalition of law enforcement agencies in a nationwide operation targeting customers of prostitutes, known as "Johns," the news release said. The sheriff's office said many of the people selling sex aren't doing so willingly, but are being forced into it.

The sting involved a web-based operation centered on the use of classified advertising websites as a medium for prostitution.

When the "Johns" arrived and offered money to the undercover detectives for sexual acts, they were arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail, the sheriff's office said.

According to the Lake County Sheriff's office, the following individuals were arrested at the hotel (Mugshots courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's office):

• Salvador Vicario, 61, of the 3000 block of 17th Street in North Chicago

• Gregory D. Pahl, 53, of the 12400 block of 336th Avenue in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin

• Carlos Reyes-Velez, 36, of the 12800 block of West 28th Street in Beach Park

• Mark K. Volpe, 62, of the 300 block of Oak Terrace Avenue in Highwood

• Steven P. Wilt, 62, of the 2200 block of Cardinal Court in Gurnee

• Pedro Mendez-Gonzalez, 51, of the 400 block of North Pioneer Road in Waukegan

• Timothy D. Christian, 37, of the 2000 block of Miraflores Avenue in Waukegan

• Gustavo A. Cornelio-Garcia, 25, of the 1200 block of 34th Street in Zion

• Roger C. Jimdar, 31, of the 3300 block of 15th Street in Kenosha, Wisconsin

• John Powell, 38, of the 700 block of Mill Court in Waukegan

• Sean A. O’Reilly, 43, of the 8900 block of Woodbridge Drive in Greendale, Wisconsin

• Jay Sawyer, 58, of the 4100 block of Chester Drive in Glenview

• Kyle E. Macgibbon, 59, of the 15500 block of West Timber Lane in Libertyville

• Gregory J. Mason, 53, of the 2200 block of Hunters Court in Spring Grove

"Human trafficking is a significant problem which exists everywhere, even right here in Lake County," Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said, in the release. "The Lake County Sheriff's Office makes it a priority to do everything we can to suppress the demand of purchased sex."

Over the past nine years, the nationwide effort has led to the arrests of more than 10,000 "Johns" and sex traffickers, according to the news release.

The 14 men each face one count of solicitation of a sexual act and must appear in court in Waukegan, the sheriff's office said.