Special investigation group arrests 12 men in human trafficking

WAUKEGAN -- The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area-funded task force, arrested 12 men in a recent human trafficking suppression operation.

SIG conducted an operation specifically targeting customers of prostitutes, known as “Johns.”  Many individuals selling sex are not doing so willingly, a large number are being forced into involuntary servitude, according to a news release.

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 taken to the Lake County Jail.

Over the past 10 years, this nationwide effort led to the arrests of more than 15,000 total “Johns” and sex traffickers.

“It is a well-known fact that many are forced into this type of ‘sex work’ through physical force, fraud, and coercion,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in the release. “Many of them are victims of human trafficking.  There is no doubt that if we reduce the demand for this type of activity, we reduce the need for the supply, making positive strides toward reducing human trafficking.”

The following people were arrested during this operation and charged with solicitation of a sexual act, a Class A misdemeanor:

* Israel G. Cisneros-Sanchez, 31, of the 1300 block of Abbington Lane, Round Lake

* Douglas M. Dockery, 36, of the 4100 block of Harvard Street, Arlington Heights

* Ryan A. Juga, 42, of the 7100 block of 36th Avenue, Kenosha, Wisconsin

* Michael P. Marciano, 43, of the 33200 block of Valley View Drive, Round Lake

* Aliaksandr Kors, 33, of the 23600 block of Raleigh Drive, Lincolnshire

* Nicholas A. Huemann, 22, of the 100 block of West Northeast Shore Drive, McHenry

* Steven D. Carr, 71, of the 1200 block of North Western Avenue, Lake Forest

* Victor Andrala, 43, of the 1500 block of Eva Avenue, Park City

* Theodore E. Pfaff, 39, of the 4500 block of Hemlock Street, Crystal Lake

* Nicholas B. Steele, 44, of the 18100 block of Loretta Drive, Marengo

* Christian Felix, 19, of the 1000 block of Grand Avenue, Waukegan

* Traian Big, 49, of the 3700 block of Harlem Avenue, Chicago

All defendants were cited, processed and issued a court date of Dec. 21 at 8:45 a.m. in Courtroom C-207.