By Hannah Dillon

ALBERT LEA — Area police have arrested 20 people — including three from Austin and one from Dexter — on charges of soliciting prostitution after conducting three undercover sex crime stings in Albert Lea and Owatonna since February.

The South Central Drug Investigation Unit conducted the undercover operation on Feb. 19 and April 7 at hotels in Albert Lea. Police declined to release the names of the hotels where the stings occurred.

A third operation was conducted in Owatonna on March 20, which resulted in 10 additional arrests.

Over the course of the undercover operation, the 20 people were arrested, booked and released. All of the people arrested are facing charges related to soliciting prostitution.

On Feb. 19, police arrested 62-year-old Donald Harm Huisengay of Coulter, Iowa, and 61-year-old Leon James Holst of Dexter.

The Owatonna sting resulted in the following arrests:

• Steven Ronald Fisher, 58, Swea City, Iowa

• Jesse Allen Woytcke, 46, Glencoe

• Mark Charles Hinsch, 59, Waltham

• Gary John Percival, 28, Roseville

• Lee Allen Albertson, 44, Scarville

• Robert Philip Parker, 59, Rochester

• Franklin Daniel Voeltz, 36, Austin

• Rebecca Fay Voeltz, 36, Austin

• Lance Dean Madson, 26, Ellendale

• Stanley Dennis Trca, 51, Garner, Iowa

The April 7 sting in Albert Lea, resulted in the following arrests:

• Allen Scott Rasmussen, 50, of Rochester

• Mark Randel Ward, 56, of Albertville

• Jay Howard Graves, 52, of Decorah, Iowa

• Kenneth John Bradley, 49, of Minneapolis

• James Ernest Nylund, 73, of Owatonna

• Brian Eric Pillard, 53, of Lincoln, Nebraska

• Thomas D. Wicks, 40, of Austin

• Christopher Edward Wiener, 43, of Waseca

The April 7 operation was conducted in partnership with the Rochester Police Street Crimes Unit. This operation served as a training exercise on investigative techniques to combat human trafficking and related sex crimes.

The training opportunity was partially funded by a state grant received by the Southeast Minnesota Safe Harbor Regional Navigator’s Office.

The South Central Drug Investigative Unit is a regional task force encompassing Steele, Freeborn, Waseca and Faribault counties. Participating agencies include the Owatonna Police Department, Albert Lea Police Department, Waseca County Sheriff’s Office, Faribault County Sheriff’s Office, Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office, Steele County Sheriff’s Office, Blooming Prairie Police Department, Waseca Police Department, Janesville Police Department, Blue Earth Police Department, Wells Police Department and Winnebago Police Department.