STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Two massage businesses and three homes searched ended with at least a dozen arrests, which are all the result of months of undercover work and surveillance into a potential human trafficking operation in Macomb County.
"This has been about a three-month investigation that started with a tip from a concerned citizen,” Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said.
So far, four people have been arraigned on multiple charges including prostitution. Six people are being held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for being in the country illegally. Some of them are potentially victims of human trafficking that were being housed in homes across Macomb County.
“These individuals did not have any transportation. They were being driven back and forth by the individuals we had arrested," Wickersham said. "So, we were very concerned about human trafficking, individuals that were being kept maybe against their will.”
It turns out one home on Gulliver Street in Shelby Township is owned by a nearby restaurant with two metro Detroit locations. The owner told us they bought the home to house employees and some employees did live there.
However, they denied having any involvement or knowledge of the human trafficking operation. No one from the restaurant has been charged in the case and the restaurant has not been accused of illegal activity, so we are withholding the restaurant's name.
“We're always looking at who's owning the home," Wickersham said. "I know we're speaking of the home in Shelby Township. I wasn’t inside there, but my detectives did indicate there was about 11 different makeshift rooms in the basement, deplorable living conditions. So that will be another aspect of our investigation. If these individuals were living in that type of environment, are they being forced to live there? Forced to work in these businesses? That's just a broader part of this investigation.”
Another part of this investigation is whether or not this case is connected to another case from December, which resulted in multiple raids and arrests connected to massage parlors in metro Detroit.
Watch our December report in the video player below:
“Whatever was going on, I just hope it got cleaned up," said Frank Penzin, who lived next door to the Shelby Township home.
The National Human Trafficking Hotlineconnects victims and survivors of sex trafficking with support 24-7. You can call 888-373-7888 or text 233733
