Reports from Kalamazoo, Michigan advise that a human trafficking investigation by the County Sheriff’s office has resulted in the arrests of three people, including a Western Michigan University public safety officer.
Among those arrested were 49-year-old Abraham Hohnke of Portage, who worked as a police officer at WMU, 27-year-old Aaron Bower-Guimond of Mattawan, employed with the Bronson Healthcare System, and 26-year-old truck driver Nathan Ruzick, also of Mattawan.
In a Friday press conference, Sheriff Richard Fuller noted that Michigan is one of the top ten states for human trafficking, and he issued a warning to those involved in human trafficking who have yet to get caught.
Sheriff Fuller said that the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office for the investigation.
Human traffickers come in all persuasions, and increasingly appear as reputable citizens with solid ties to the community. Human slavery is profitable. The toll it takes on those taken and their families is enormous. To stop it, the penalties for participation must become even more severe.
