In a joint operation aimed at curbing the demand for commercial sex, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group (SIG) arrested 29 individuals in a two-day undercover human trafficking sting. Among those taken into custody were at least two men believed to be active-duty U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Naval Station Great Lakes, the Navy’s only boot camp and largest training installation.
The sting operation, conducted in partnership with the Gurnee Police Department, involved undercover agents posting decoy ads online. The suspects who responded made arrangements to meet for sex in exchange for money. Once they arrived at a Gurnee-area hotel, they were arrested on the spot and transported to the Lake County Jail.
Sailors Arrested While in Uniform
Photos released by NCIS show two of the arrestees being taken into custody — one wearing the Navy’s Physical Training t-shirt and the other dressed in the Navy Working Uniform (NWU). Based on the arrest photos and mugshot comparisons, those individuals are believed to be:
- Mathew Reynolds, 23, of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
- Essodong Tchakpala, 25, of Round Lake Beach, Illinois
Both men live within the surrounding area of Naval Station Great Lakes, which is located in North Chicago, Illinois, just miles from the sting location in Gurnee. The base serves as the primary training command for all new enlisted Navy Sailors and hosts over 20,000 students annually. It’s also home to numerous tenant commands, including Recruit Training Command (RTC) and Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes.
Although the Navy has not publicly confirmed their status, both Reynolds and Tchakpala’s clothing and proximity to base strongly suggest they are affiliated with the installation — either as recent boot camp graduates or training pipeline students.
Charges and Additional Offenses
All 29 suspects face a primary charge of soliciting a sexual act. However, some individuals incurred additional charges during the arrests:
- Deybys Matute Moncada, 31, of Zion, allegedly resisted arrest and kneed a detective in the face, leading to charges of aggravated battery to a peace officer and resisting arrest causing injury.
- Jesus Navarrete-Vega, 30, of Gurnee, damaged a hotel hallway and was charged with criminal damage to property and resisting a peace officer.
- Argyll Piansay, 61, of Gurnee, was charged with attempted possession of cocaine.
Despite some suspects resisting arrest and injuring law enforcement officers, all were eventually processed and released pending future court appearances.
NCIS: Combating Demand to Protect Readiness
NCIS emphasized that the operation supports ongoing Pentagon and White House directives to fight human trafficking and protect service members from exposure to illegal and exploitative behavior.
“NCIS aggressively works to implement Pentagon and White House initiatives to prevent human trafficking by suppressing the demand for commercial sex acts,” the agency said in a public statement. “These efforts are critical to maintaining the safety and readiness of Navy and Marine Corps warfighters.”
Local law enforcement echoed that message, stressing the impact of sex trafficking on vulnerable populations and the role of demand suppression in dismantling the trade.
“While some may perceive prostitution as a consensual transaction between adults, experience and investigative work have consistently shown that many individuals being sold for sex are not participating willingly,” said Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Sheriff John Idleburg added:
“If there is no buyer, there is no market.”
If Reynolds and Tchakpala are confirmed to be Sailors at Great Lakes, they will likely face additional punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which may include administrative separation, reduction in rank, or confinement.
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