In January, the Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group conducted a multi-day 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 prostitute 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 utilized 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.  

Over the past nine years, this nationwide effort led to the arrests of more than 10,000 total “Johns” and sex traffickers.  

Arrested at a hotel in the Gurnee area were:

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

Gregory D. Pahl, 53, of the12400 block of 336th Avenue, Twin Lakes, WI

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, WI

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

Sean A. O’Reilly, 43, of the 8900 block of Woodbridge Drive, Greendale, WI

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.  

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

All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.