Four men face felony charges after a multi-year investigation spanning several states.
FRANKLIN, WI — A human-trafficking investigation tied to a Franklin strip club has identified at least 24 alleged victims over about five years, according to newly unsealed search warrants, as prosecutors pursue charges against four men accused of exploiting women for commercial sex in Wisconsin and other states.
The case centers on On the Border Gentlemen’s Club, a longtime business near South 27th Street and West Elm Road. Investigators say the club and its private areas were used as a base for trafficking while other trips and meetups were arranged across state lines. The four defendants include three Milwaukee men accused of running or profiting from trafficking and the club’s general manager, who prosecutors say allowed illegal activity in the business. Authorities say the investigation remains active, leaving key questions unresolved, including whether additional arrests or charges are coming.
Federal and local agents served multiple state search warrants in the Milwaukee area in mid-December, leading to the arrests of four people on a total of 17 charged counts, according to an FBI statement. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office filed a 23-page criminal complaint in Milwaukee County Circuit Court that lays out allegations dating back years. In the complaint, prosecutors describe a pattern in which dancers and other women were allegedly recruited, controlled through threats and violence, and made to hand over money earned from sex acts. A court hearing for the defendants is scheduled for later this month, as the case begins to move through the court system.
Court records list the defendants as Jimmy L. Durant Jr. III, 31; Dantavia Vernard Rule, 31; Maurice Russell, 31; and Brian R. Hopkins, 50. Prosecutors accuse Durant of multiple counts of human trafficking dating to January 2018 and continuing into the present, involving alleged victims identified by initials. Rule also faces human trafficking counts tied to separate alleged victims, along with other charges that include domestic abuse-related counts and allegations that he received compensation connected to trafficking. Russell is accused of receiving compensation for human trafficking. Hopkins, the club’s general manager, is charged with keeping a place of prostitution, a felony under Wisconsin law.
The warrants and complaint describe alleged control tactics that, investigators say, kept women dependent and afraid to leave. One alleged victim told investigators her identification and Social Security card were taken so she could not “run off,” the complaint says. Investigators also described tracking tools used to monitor women’s locations, including Life360 and similar phone-based features, according to the complaint. In one section, prosecutors say an alleged victim was required to meet daily money quotas, was restricted from friendships and family contact, and faced punishment if rules were broken. The complaint includes allegations of beatings, strangulation and intimidation, and it describes a system in which money earned was turned over to the men accused of running the operation.
The complaint also outlines allegations that the trafficking activity overlapped with other forms of fraud and coercion. In one account, prosecutors say an alleged victim’s personal information was used in an attempt to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program loan, though the attempt did not succeed, and that another person’s information was used in a PPP loan application. Another alleged victim told investigators that Russell had her Social Security number and opened a credit card in her name, then used it to pay expenses while she was expected to pay off the balance, the complaint says. Investigators also described business loan documents in an alleged victim’s name for a company she said was not real, with an email account that prosecutors say was used to post commercial sex advertisements.
Inside the club, witnesses and alleged victims described private areas where sex acts could occur away from the main floor, according to the complaint. One woman told investigators that many commercial sex acts happened in the club’s VIP lounge and that bouncers would turn down the lights when sex acts occurred, the complaint says. Some VIP spaces had doors while others had bead curtains, according to that account. Prosecutors allege the club’s operations created an environment where staff knew what was happening and benefited through tips. The complaint states that the club did not prevent or stop commercial sex acts inside the business and that employees such as bouncers, bartenders and a DJ would get a tip after sex acts were completed.
The newly unsealed search warrants describe the scope of the investigation beyond Franklin and Milwaukee. Investigators say the alleged trafficking involved moving women to other places for commercial sex, including trips to Miami, Chicago and New Orleans, and to multiple cities in Mississippi, according to the warrants. The criminal complaint also references travel to Florida and Illinois and describes arrangements involving hotels and short-term rentals. In one passage, prosecutors say two women traveled to Miami and stayed for months, with one working at a club there. In another, prosecutors describe trips where women flew to out-of-state destinations while one of the men drove, with the women expected to keep earning money throughout the travel.
Law enforcement agencies involved include the FBI-led Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and local partners, including the Franklin Police Department, Oak Creek Police Department and Milwaukee Police Department, according to the FBI. The FBI said the investigation is multi-year and multi-jurisdictional and remains ongoing, and the agency said it could not release further details. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office declined interview requests from local outlets while the case is pending.
City leaders in Franklin said they are being briefed as the case proceeds and signaled possible action related to the business. Mayor John Nelson said the city may review licenses connected to the establishment and would not comment further during the review process. In separate remarks reported locally, Nelson questioned whether a strip club still fits the community as Franklin has grown. A neighbor who lives near the club told a local station he had seen it as quiet for years, but said the allegations changed his view of what should be there.
On the Border’s management issued a statement after the arrests saying the owners and employees have operated locally for nearly four decades and that they support the investigation, while condemning illegal activity tied to the business. Prosecutors, however, allege in court records that management knew commercial sex acts were happening and allowed them to continue in private rooms. The criminal case now turns to court hearings where prosecutors will outline evidence and defense attorneys can challenge the allegations as the judge sets the schedule for next steps.
For now, the four defendants remain charged but not convicted, and investigators say additional details cannot be released while the investigation continues. The next public milestone is the defendants’ court appearance scheduled for Dec. 29, when the case is expected to move forward in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
Author note: Last updated 2025-12-25.