A Wonder Lake man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison after he and a woman sex trafficked a 15-year-old girl in Lake County, prompting a multi-year sheriff’s investigation.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Group in July 2019 said they were conducting a long-term investigation into the sex trafficking of a 15-year-old girl after receiving a tip from the Round Lake Beach Police Department.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said at the time that Special Investigations Group detectives learned that Sheila E. Johnston, who was 33 and a Round Lake Beach resident at the time, was possibly pimping a 15-year-old girl.
Johnston previously held legal guardianship over the girl.
Johnston posted an advertisement on a website offering the child to participate in sexual acts in exchange for money, Covelli said.
Undercover detectives communicated with Johnston and she offered the juvenile and herself to engage in sex acts in exchange for money.
“Johnston trafficked the juvenile to a hotel in Waukegan, where she met with who she thought was a customer, but was really an undercover Sheriff’s Detective. During the meeting Johnston offered both herself and the juvenile to engage in sexual acts for money,” Covelli said at the time.
Johnston was arrested and charged with trafficking in persons, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, promoting juvenile prostitution and prostitution.
The girl was transported to a safe shelter where the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services took protective custody of her.
The Special Investigations Group, along with the FBI Chicago Field Office, continued their efforts to expose those involved in the human trafficking operation, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sgt. Matthew Harmon said.
Harmon said last year that the extensive investigation had progressed and new evidence and witnesses had come to light.
The developments provided investigators with enough proof to link Jose Puga, 52, of Wonder Lake, to the crimes committed against the 15-year-old girl.
Harmon said that Puga was an associate and co-conspirator with Johnston and participated in the crimes committed against the child.
The case was presented to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved charges in March 2025 of three counts of involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, three counts of trafficking in persons and six counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
An arrest warrant was issued for Puga and he surrendered himself to the Lake County Jail.
Court records show Puga, who has remained held in the jail pending trial, entered into a negotiated plea deal with the state’s attorney’s office on July 22.
He pleaded guilty to involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, a Class X felony, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony.
Puga was sentenced to 22 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections pursuant to the agreement.
Prosecutors, victim specialists and investigators consulted extensively with the survivor, Covelli said.
She delivered a powerful victim-impact statement during the plea hearing that described the effect Puga’s actions had on her life.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said the heart of the story is the “bravery of the survivor.”
“Without her, we could not have held this dangerous offender accountable. Our office is so proud of our partnerships with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and federal agencies because they provide more resources to reduce and ultimately eliminate human trafficking in Lake County,” Rinehart said.
Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg called human trafficking a “devastating crime that preys on the most vulnerable members of our community.”
“This sentence reflects the relentless work of our detectives and the strong partnerships we have with the FBI, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies to identify traffickers, build strong cases, and hold offenders accountable. We will continue to work together to investigate these crimes, rescue victims, and ensure those who exploit others are brought to justice,” Idleburg said.
Lake County court records show Johnston pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of involuntary sexual servitude of a child, a Class X felony, and was sentenced to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections pursuant to the plea.
Federal court records show Johnston was also charged in federal court with sex trafficking of children and sentenced to 20 years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons after pleading guilty to the charge.
Puga’s sentence is to be followed by 18 months of supervised release. The plea also requires him to register as a sex offender.