12 men charged with soliciting sex in Arlington Heights, Waukegan

Twelve men are facing charges after soliciting sex during a pair of prostitution stings in Arlington Heights and Waukegan.

The arrests were part of a national initiative to combat sex trafficking, according to statements from Arlington Heights police and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

On Jan. 25, officers carried out a sting operation at a motel near Arlington Heights and Algonquin roads in Arlington Heights, police said.

Joshua Brodsky, 39, of Arlington Heights; Randolph Zarecky, 60, of Long Grove; Kevin Willing, 48, of South Elgin; and Stephen Palanca, 30, of Cary were all charged with solicitation of a sexual act, police said.

Information about their bonds and next scheduled court dates wasn’t immediately known.

Several other men were charged for prostitution, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said. The alleged “johns” were taken into custody after showing up at the location and offered cash for sex.

Evelio Marquez, 55, of Kenosha; Jeremy P. Hoen, 29, of Lakemoor; Luis Lopez-Arellano, 32, of Zion; Raymond Berger, 33, of Lake Villa; Luis E. Cardenas, 48, of Waukegan; Dionicio S. Pott, 37, of Waukegan; and Elmer E. Rosales, 54, of Waukegan were all charged with solicitation of a sexual act, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said. They are all set to appear in court on March 12.

“Investigating human trafficking is one of the top priorities of the Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force,” according to Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran. “ Prostitution often involves human trafficking and juvenile sex trafficking, which is exactly why we conduct these investigations.”

As part of the initiative, 57 other people were arrested for soliciting sex in Broadview, Lansing, Matteston and Orland Park, according to a statement from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

Over the past seven years, the nationwide initiative has led to the arrests of more than 8,000 “johns” and sex traffickers, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.