Whitewater Police Release Names of Those Arrested in Human Trafficking Operation

Posted on: May 7, 2025

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

On April 29 the Whitewater Police Department provided a press release indicating that six persons were arrested on April 25 as “part of a human trafficking operation targeting criminal activity in the Whitewater area.” An updated press release, issued on May 6, identified the individuals who were arrested and their charges, but indicated that the department was issuing no further information at this time. The single common denominator is that all of the men have had a charge of prostitution forwarded to the district attorney. In some cases, there were additional, apparently unrelated charges.

The U.S. Department of Justice defines human trafficking as follows: “Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological. Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was used.”

The definition of prostitution in the Wisconsin statutes is “Any person who intentionally …. has or offers to have or requests to have nonmarital sexual intercourse for anything of value.” It seems unclear as to why a simple case of prostitution would be considered human trafficking unless there was compelling or coercion involved, or a minor was being solicited for the act.

Prostitution is a misdemeanor. The Banner does not routinely publish misdemeanor charges, nor do we normally post a charge that does not yet appear on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access [WCCA] website, as there are occasions when the district attorney does not choose to file charges that have been forwarded by a police department. However, since a press release was issued, we are deeming this matter to be newsworthy.

On the press release we have bolded those charges that are felonies. As of this writing, none of the names of the individuals who were only arrested for prostitution are appearing on WCCA, so it is unknown whether the district attorney will charge those persons.

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The press release follows.

Whitewater Police Arrest Six Individuals in Human Trafficking Operation – UPDATE
Whitewater, WI – May 6, 2025 – The following information is being released as an update to the investigation
completed on April 25, 2025. During that operation, the Whitewater Police Department arrested the six individuals listed
below and forwarded the accompanying charges to the Walworth County District Attorney (applicable municipal citations
are not listed).

 Dillin R. Poeppel, 37, of Fort Atkinson, WI
o Prostitution (Wis. Stat. 944.30(1m)(a))

 George D. Moffett, 57, of Janesville, WI
o Prostitution (Wis. Stat. 944.30(1m)(a))
o Bail Jumping-Felony (Wis. Stat. 946.49(1)(b))

 Willie Trammell IV, 35, of Beloit, WI
o Prostitution (Wis. Stat. 944.30(1m)(a))
o Operating While Under the Influence – 4th (Wis. Stat. 346.63(1)(a))
o Operating w/ PAC >= .02 – 2nd (Wis. Stat. 346.63(1)(b))
o Failure to Install Ignition Interlock Device (Wis. Stat. 347.413(1))
o Bail Jumping-Felony (Wis. Stat. 946.49(1)(b))
o Bail Jumping-Misdemeanor (Wis. Stat. 946.49(1)(a))
o Possession of Narcotic Drugs (fentanyl) (Wis. Stat. 961.41(3g)(am))
o Possession of Cocaine (Wis. Stat. 961.41(3g)(c))
o Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Wis. Stat. 961.573(1))

 Alfredo A. Lima, 29, of Darien, WI
o Prostitution (Wis. Stat. 944.30(1m)(a))

 Trey J. Roth, 24, of Whitewater, WI
o Prostitution (Wis. Stat. 944.30(1m)(a))

 Kenshawn A. Denwiddie, 44, of Rockford, IL
o Prostitution (Wis. Stat. 944.30(1m)(a))
o Possession of THC (Wis. Stat. 961.41(3g)(e))
o Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Wis. Stat. 961.573(1))