Student, bank employee among 46 arrested in Warren human trafficking sting

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Warren Police said Friday that, among the nearly 50 people arrested for human trafficking, they include a student and bank employee.

The three-day sting was the second one this year for Warren Police. Commissioner William Dwyer said the city is committed to cracking down on prostitution.

"These operations are focused on human trafficking, prostitution, pandering and illegal sale of drugs," Dwyer said.

25 women and 21 men were all arrested in Warren for their involvement in a human trafficking and prostitution sting, called Operation Crusade 

"There were 31 felony and 72 misdemeanor charges for a total of 103," Dwyer said.

Investigators did not release many details about how they were able to crack down on this criminal activity but they did provide information about where the crimes took place: in apartment buildings and hotels.

The players are not just from Metro Detroit but came from as far away as East Lansing. Among them is a student and Bank of America employee. This is the city's second sex sting operation bu tis more revealing than the first.

"The first was in May of this year which netted 35 arrests and a total of 30 felonies, 45 misdemeanors for a total of 75," Dwyer said. "In this phase of the investigation, we've learned that the drug dealers are utilizing prostitutes, or in many cases the victim, in selling drugs to their customers." 

"The most devastating thing is that many of these prostitutes, if not all of them, are selling drugs and they themselves are addicted to drugs," Mayor Jim Fouts said.

Police say they're wrapping up this investigation and that there may be another one. They're asking anyone who may know anything about human trafficking or prostitution to call Warren police.