Lake County undercover sting leads to 27 arrests for soliciting sex

Undercover Lake County sheriff’s detectives posing as individuals offering sex for money arrested 27 men at a Gurnee-area hotel as part of a two-day human trafficking suppression operation, authorities said Saturday.

The sheriff’s Special Investigations Group operation specifically targeted people attempting to purchase sex through online classified advertisements, which police say is a tactic regularly used by traffickers to market victims of human trafficking.

The operation took place earlier this week, in which offenders arrived at the hotel, were offered money for sexual acts, and then were arrested and transported to the Lake County jail. All were charged with one count of soliciting a sexual act and released pending a court date.

“These operations are about protecting victims and holding sex buyers accountable,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in a news release. “Suppressing the demand is a critical piece of dismantling the human trafficking pipeline. If there is no buyer, there is no market.”

The 27 people arrested were:

• Tyree R.L. Alexander, 32, of Gurnee

• Daniel Corona, 29, of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

• John Garcia, 53, of Kenosha, Wisconsin

• Daevieon Garland, 21, of Waukegan

• Ryan P. Gibbs, 26, of Libertyville

• Andre L. Harvey, 41, of North Chicago

• Jamir Holmes, 20, of Zion

• James A. Kavinsky, 30, of Niles

• Charles A. Lintner, 35, of Johnsburg

• Jonathan R. Litson, 45, of Gurnee

• Alexis M. Lopez, 31, of Park City

• Deybys Matute Moncada, 31, of Zion

• Hakeem A. Moore, 22, of Great Lakes

• Jesus S. Munoz, 35, of Woodstock

• Jesus Navarrete-Vega, 30, of Gurnee

• Argyll Piansay, 61, of Gurnee

• Eryk P. Plawinski, 26, of Algonquin

• Adam S.W. Porwit, 26, of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin

• Joshua L. Powell, 34, of Libertyville

• Adrion E. Reynolds, 21, of Park City

• Mathew Reynolds, 23, of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

• Robert L. Rowels, 39, of Ingleside

• Ubaldo L. Sanchez, 28, of Waukegan

• Essodong Tchakpala, 25, of Round Lake Beach

• Jesus M. Valdez, 28, of Zion

• Abelardo A. Velasquez, 30, of Beach Park

• Carl R. Weber, 35, of Muskego, Wisconsin

Matute Moncada also was charged with resisting a peace officer resulting in injury and aggravated battery after authorities said he kneed a detective in the face during the arrest.

Navarrete-Vega also was charged with resisting a police officer and criminal damage to property after authorities said he caused damage to the hotel hallway.

Piansay also was charged with attempted possession of cocaine.