Chicago man sentenced to 18 years for human trafficking

A Chicago man convicted in March of forcing women to prostitute themselves for his own profit was sentenced to 18 years in prison Tuesday.

Cook County sheriff’s police arrested Troy Bonaparte, 46, last August after they responded to an online advertisement for escorts. Officers were directed to an Elk Grove Village hotel where they discovered Bonaparte — known by his street name “Magnificent” — operating a prostitution ring.

Bonaparte’s conviction — on charges of pandering, involuntary servitude and trafficking in persons for forced labor or services — is the first for the Human Trafficking Initiative Unit, which the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office established last year. Under the initiative, prosecutors work with law enforcement representatives on long-term investigations and with social service providers who assist victims of human trafficking.

Prosecutors say Bonaparte rented motel rooms throughout the city and suburbs where he forced women he recruited off the street to service up to 25 customers per day. They say Bonaparte kept the money the women earned and threatened to kill them if they didn’t cooperate.