Milwaukee human trafficking case; docs show possible abuse pattern

New documents in human trafficking case

A Milwaukee real estate broker is accused of running a human trafficking operation. New documents show a possible pattern of abuse.

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee real estate broker accused of running a human trafficking operation made his first court appearance on Friday, and new documents show a possible pattern of abuse.

From divorce proceedings to restraining orders that were ultimately dismissed, court records show 38-year-old Austin Chronister has a complicated past when it comes to romantic relationships.

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The backstory:

Prosecutors said Chronister kept women in his home, assaulted them, forced them to have sex against their will and made them change their last names.

According to a criminal complaint, Chronister would throw BDSM parties at his State Street home where one woman described an alleged sex dungeon in the basement. 

Complicated past

Dig deeper:

FOX6 News dug into Chronister's past and uncovered divorce proceedings that showed he and his now ex-wife split in 2022 after 10 years of marriage. During that time, his wife pleaded 'no contest' to a disorderly conduct charge after prosecutors say she stabbed him in the leg.

Records show Chronister's ex-wife is listed on financial records as owning a business with a woman named Christin Saint Pierre. Saint Pierre has not been charged but was named in the complaint.

FOX6 News tried to talk to Saint Pierre on Thursday. She said: "No comment." In court, Chronister's defense argued for him and Saint Pierre to have third-party contact because "they were basically almost in a common-law marriage."

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Documents show at least one of the women Chronister is accused of assaulting previously filed restraining orders in 2020 and 2021. She claimed Chronister stabbed her in the shoulder with a needle and injected an unknown substance. She said he told her she would be able to understand words but not be able to speak.

The woman declined to speak on camera but told FOX6 News the experience was traumatic.

What's next:

Chronister's bond was set at $75,000, and he's due back in court next week. He is ordered to have no contact with at least three people.