St. Charles police arrest five people in connection with human trafficking enterprise
ST. CHARLES, Ill. (CBS) -- Five people are now charged with multiple felonies after an international human trafficking ring was busted in Kane County on Thursday.
The arrests follow a months-long investigation, and the victims are all women from South America.
"It was like an onion," said St. Charles police Chief James Keegan. "The more we peeled it back, the more it stunk."
As CBS 2's Marissa Perlman reported, St. Charles police launched the sex trafficking investigation in early spring – after they say they found a brothel operating on an apartment on the near west side of St. Charles.
"Women were brought into the United States for the sole purposes of being victimized and exploited," Keegan said.
There were 10 women in total – in their early 20s and early 30s – lured from South America to the U.S. for the sole purpose of prostitution.
The investigation revealed it was part of a larger criminal enterprise – also operating out of apartments in Chicago, Aurora, Elgin, South Elgin, Hanover Park, and Palatine.
"This is extremely widespread," said Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser, "and when we find this out, we see how connected this is to other jurisdictions."
Four men and one woman were arrested. Investigators say they ran their operation through word of mouth.
Authorities also found business cards circulating in underground communities advertising the women.
The investigation lasted months and involved multiple search warrants in the Chicago area.
All five defendants were slapped with multiple felonies – though experts say some may be hard to prove.
"These crimes are very difficult-to-land convictions," said Dr. Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco, a human trafficking expert and author. "We're talking about modern slavery here."
Mehlman-Orozco says prosecutors will have to track the money, and prove that it was kept from the victims.
"In order for it to be considered trafficking for adults, it can't just be commercial sex," Mehlman-Orozco said. "You have to also have elements of force, fraud coercion, deception, or threat."
She says the investigation will show how much of these victims' lives were controlled – and why they couldn't escape.
"Sometimes it's even threats – threats that, 'If you go to law enforcement, we're going to harm you, or your family, or your friends,'" Mehlman-Orozco said.
St. Charles Police said the 10 women were taken into protective custody and moved into transitional housing.
All five suspects are being held on $5 million bond.