6 charged with running brothels in Kane County, Rockford
Six men have been arrested on felony charges of promoting prostitution after a 15-month investigation into what authorities say were brothels operating in Aurora, West Dundee, South Elgin and Rockford.
Authorities say multiple law enforcement agencies led by the Kane County state’s attorney’s office’s Human Exploitation Unit conducted a coordinated arrest operation across Kane, McHenry, Boone, Winnebago, and Cook counties on Thursday, July 16.
The men arrested during the operation are:
• Abisahit Del Angel Hernandez, 40, of the 600 block of Leah Lane, Woodstock, who is charged with one felony count of promote prostitution advance at school and one felony count of forgery.
• Gustavo A. Perez Cardoza, 35, of the 400 block of Jefferson Street, Aurora, who is charged with one felony count of promote prostitution advance and one felony count of promote prostitution for profit arrange.
• Hugo F. Jaimes-Ramirez, 43, of the 400 block of Jefferson Street, Aurora, who is charged with two felony counts of promote prostitution advance at school, two felony counts of promote prostitution for profit arrange near school, one felony count of forgery, two felony counts of promote prostitution advance, and two felony counts of promote prostitution for profit arrange.
• Kenneth E. Figueroa Castro, 29, of the 1000 block of 5th Street, Belvidere, who is charged with three felony counts of forgery, two felony counts of promote prostitution advance at school, two felony counts of promote prostitution for profit arrange near school, two felony counts of promote prostitution advance, and two felony counts of promote prostitution for profit arrange.
• Delfino Torres-Navarro, 59, of the 6600 block of Pinetree Street, Hanover Park, who is charged with two felony counts of promote prostitution advance at school, two felony counts of promote prostitution for profit arrange near school, two felony counts of promote prostitution advance, and two felony counts of promote prostitution for profit arrange.
• Ricardo Hernandez Lux, 33, of the 600 block of Congdon Ave, Elgin, who is charged with two felony counts of promote prostitution advance at school, two felony counts of promote prostitution for profit arrange near school, two felony counts of promote prostitution advance, and two felony counts of promote prostitution for profit arrange.
According to a news release from the state’s attorney, the defendants knowingly advanced and profited from prostitution by arranging clients and controlling or exercising control over the use of residential apartments at locations in Aurora, West Dundee, Rockford and South Elgin.
The charges allege that some of the men committed forgery by using false names on rental leases for some of the apartments.
The men are due to appear at pretrial detention hearings at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles.
The Aurora, Belvidere, Elgin, Hanover Park, Rockford, South Elgin, West Chicago, West Dundee and Woodstock police departments; Homeland Security Investigations; the Kane County Sheriff’s Office; and Illinois State Police participated in the investigation and arrests.