By Jeff Rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A Milwaukee man has been charged with human trafficking as part of a sting operation organized by Glendale police.
Glendale police regularly organize sting operations to find escorts and determine whether they are victims of sex trafficking. Police also provide them with phone numbers for women’s shelters and other organizations that may be able to help them.
Five suspected escorts received municipal citations as a result of the most recent sting operation, which occurred at about 12:45 a.m. Sept. 19 at a Glendale hotel.
Myron Latimore, 40, was charged with human trafficking. If convicted, he could be fined up to $100,000 and serve up to 25 years in prison.
Latimore drove one of the suspected escorts, a 38-year-old Milwaukee woman, to the hotel, according to the criminal complaint. A Glendale officer asked her how she got to the hotel, and she said her boyfriend dropped her off.
When the officer asked if by “boyfriend” she meant “pimp,” the woman said “it’s been going on so long that it’s normal for me to call him my boyfriend,” according to the criminal complaint.
The woman said Latimore receives all of the money from her “dates.” When the police officer asked how her lip got injured, the woman said Latimore punched her in the mouth and broke one of her teeth, according to the complaint.
Another Glendale officer saw Latimore driving away from the hotel that night. When Glendale police stopped his vehicle, Latimore said he dropped the woman off at the hotel but denied any financial arrangement with her, according to the complaint.
Police found Latimore was in possession of the woman’s bank cards and her photo identification card. He was also carrying $3,857 in cash, according to the complaint.
The woman driven to the hotel by Latimore is also alleged to have been in possession of 0.3 grams of cocaine and two syringes. She had faced state charges for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, but those charges were deferred.
The woman was one of five people to receive a municipal citation during the sting operation, for being an escort without a license.
The other four cited were a 36-year-old Milwaukee man, a 25-year-old Milwaukee woman, a 22-year-old Milwaukee woman and a 31-year-old Milwaukee woman, who was also cited for possessing 0.2 grams of heroin, 0.2 grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
The alleged escorts each receive a roughly $1,000 ticket, but they are encouraged to go to municipal court to talk to the city attorney about options to reduce that fine.
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