(Radio Iowa) — Clear Lake police have arrested seven men and two women on charges related to solicitation of prostitution. Police Captain Mike Colby says investigators and officers conducted a sting operation in Clear Lake on Wednesday focusing on human trafficking and prostitution. The seven males were all charged with soliciting prostitution:
61-year-old Steven Menke of Bancroft
55-year-old Brian Cole of Nashua
47-year-old Chad Sovanski of Milan, Illinois
65-year-old Phillip Bishop of Mason City
48-year-old Brian Bruton of Charles City
48-year-old Scott Biernbaum, who lists dual residences of Clear Lake and Lincoln, Nebraska
42-year-old Jeramie Hagen of Crystal Lake, who was also charged with delivery of a controlled substance

The two women, 25-year-old Mallory Wiese of Mason City and 22-year-old Ashley Kelly of Midland, Alabama, were charged with prostitution. All nine were booked into the Cerro Gordo County Jail. Wiese and Kelly remain in jail this (Thursday) morning on $2000 bond. Colby says the goal of the operation was to identify people who were involved in this type of criminal conduct, and they wanted to take a stance against human trafficking and to show that there will be zero tolerance for such activities in the area.