Legal Help for Survivors of Sex Trafficking in Minnesota

Survivors of sex trafficking deserve dignity, support, and the opportunity to seek justice. Mark C. Santi represents survivors pursuing civil claims against traffickers and, when the facts and law support it, businesses that may have enabled or profited from trafficking.

Mark C. Santi, Esq. has been representing clients in litigation for nearly 20 years. He enjoys working one-on-one with clients and fighting vigorously to secure justice. Mark bases his practice in the IDS Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is licensed to practice in Minnesota, Florida, and New York.

When a hotel or business may be responsible

Trafficking can occur in hotels, motels, short-term rentals, and other businesses. Federal law may allow a survivor to bring a civil claim against a person or business that knowingly benefited from participating in a trafficking venture, when that party knew or should have known the venture involved trafficking.

Evidence may include what employees or managers observed, what they reported, how the business responded, and who owned or operated the property. Whether those facts support a claim requires an individual legal review.

Read the federal civil remedy, 18 U.S.C. § 1595.

Recent developments

Georgia hotel trafficking verdict

In September 2026, a federal jury returned a $164 million verdict against the company that owned and operated a Super 8 hotel in College Park, Georgia. The award included compensatory and punitive damages. This was a Georgia case; its outcome does not determine whether a business is liable in Minnesota. Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s report.

Brooklyn Center hotel investigation

In September 2026, law enforcement conducted a multi-agency investigation involving several Brooklyn Center hotels. Police later reported identifying 17 trafficking victims. Arrests and an ongoing investigation are not findings of civil liability against a hotel or business. Read CBS Minnesota’s report.

Civil claims and Minnesota law

A civil case is separate from a criminal investigation. Depending on the facts and applicable law, a survivor may be able to seek financial damages from one or more responsible parties.

Support and legal options

For a free consultation contact Mark C. Santi, Esq. confidentially at 612-808-9082 or mark@thesantifirm.com.