Bloomington detectives recently discovered a prostitution ring that had been using apartments in Edina, as well as Richfield, for business. Police made three arrests following the investigation in January, including a woman who was part of the trafficking ring and two men who are suspected of promoting prostitution.  

In an interview with the Sun Current, Bloomington Police Commander Kim Clauson said that investigators initially believed that most of the profits from the ring were going towards a larger organization. Clauson has been working closely with investigators throughout the case. During her interview with 5 Eyewitness News, she recounted the events that led up to the arrests.  

The prostitution ring was discovered after a detective came across an online ad for prostitution off of Highway 494. The detective scheduled an appointment, and, along with a small number of additional investigators, was led to the Edina apartments, where the suspected woman answered the door.

The woman was questioned, and it was revealed that she had been flown into the Twin Cities from New York for the purpose of prostitution. She was deemed a victim of the trafficking ring, and shortly after her interview investigators escorted her to the airport so she could return to New York.   

After further investigation, detectives obtained the apartment lessee’s phone number from the apartment’s management. In addition, the lessee’s name was also revealed and later recognized as a fake name previously used by the same organization to rent an apartment for the purpose of prostitution. With a description of the suspect, investigators turned their attention to finding out if he was involved in the larger organization.

Detectives planted a tracking device on the suspect’s vehicle and were able to trace him back to an apartment in Richfield. There, a hidden camera set up by investigators revealed him entering the apartment and moving everything from the location in Edina into the building, along with another man who was later investigated under suspicion of helping run the organization.   

Shortly after, detectives obtained a search warrant in order to survey the apartment. There, they found the same woman who had been in the Edina apartment and arrested her on accounts of suspected prostitution.

The two men were again seen near the apartment, and were later arrested for promotion of prostitution. After searching the men’s cars, investigators confiscated more than $5,000 dollars worth of profit thought to have been obtained through prostitution.

In a later interview with the suspects, detectives learned that the men had been opening a restaurant in Richfield, which they were using the profits from the prostitution ring to fund.

The case will be turned over to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office upon closure. According to Commander Clauson, the three suspects have not yet been charged.

Author’s note: this article is based off of an interview conducted by 5 Eyewitness News with Bloomington Police Commander Kim Clauson.