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Salon Owner Charged In 3 Rape Cases Denied Bail, 'A Danger,' Judge Says

By  Kelly Bauer and Erica Demarest | April 30, 2016 3:00pm | Updated on May 2, 2016 11:57am

 West Loop tanning salon owner Marc Winner, who is facing rape charges in several court cases, is also named in a business license discipline case.
West Loop tanning salon owner Marc Winner, who is facing rape charges in several court cases, is also named in a business license discipline case.
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dnainfo/Stephanie Lulay; Chicago Police Department

CHICAGO — A judge told a tanning salon owner charged in three rape cases that he is a "danger" and denied him bail on Saturday.

Marc Winner, 45, the owner of a West Loop tanning salon, was charged in a third rape case on Friday. Court records allege he raped as many as five women between 2009 and 2015, and on Saturday a prosecutor described four of those instances to Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr., saying alleged victims were choked and feared for their lives.

"The proof is evident," Bourgeois told Winner after listening. The judge denied Winner bail. "You are a danger."

The most recent case Winner has been charged in goes back to July 18, 2012, said assistant state's attorney Mikki Miller.

In that case, the victim, a woman, was in a West Loop bar with her friends when she saw Winner, Miller said. The woman had worked for Winner at one of his tanning salons and he invited her and one of her friends to his apartment.

At the apartment, Winner offered the women alcohol and drugs, Miller said, and the woman's friend later left. Immediately after she left Winner became aggressive and took the alleged victim's phone away, Miller said.

Fearing for her safety, the woman suggested they leave the apartment and go to Winner's tanning salon, where she hoped to call police, Miller said.

At the salon, the woman tried to call 911 but was unsuccessful, Miller said. She got her cellphone back and called and texted her sister, saying she was about to be raped. There are phone records that corroborate this, Miller said.

Winner took back the woman's cellphone when he realized she was using it, Miller said. He then took the woman against her will back to his apartment, where he forced her into his bedroom, took off her clothes and raped her, Miller said.

After the alleged rape, Winner went to his bathroom and turned on the shower, Miller said, and the woman ran away, barefoot. She went to a nearby grocery store for help and contacted police.

Police took the woman to a hospital and a rape kit was taken. DNA from the kit matches Winner's DNA, Miller said.

Miller described four other rapes allegedly committed by Winner and told the judge he continues to operate his tanning salon.

RELATED: Tanning Salon Owner Marc Winner Raped Me in 2001 But Went Free, Woman Says

"While the defendant is on bond every woman who walks into that tanning salon is a potential victim," Miller said.

Winner's attorney, Steven Weinberg, argued that twice this week a judge has ruled in Winner's favor by upholding the original $500,000 bail in a rape case from October. Winner posted $50,000 in that instance, has not violated any conditions of his bail and wears an electronic monitoring device, Weinberg said.

But Bourgeois said he saw the situation differently than the other judge.

Weinberg declined to immediately comment Saturday.

RELATED: West Loop Tanning Salon Owner Marc Winner Charged In 3rd Rape Care

"We're going to try these cases in the courtroom because we don't convict people based on the quantity or number of witnesses," Weinberg said Friday. "We convict people based on the quality of evidence."

"During a trial it will be shown that a lot of this evidence comes out on Winner's side," he added.

Read more:

• Tanning Salon Owner Marc Winner Raped Me in 2001 But Went Free, Woman Says

• West Loop Tanning Salon Owner Marc Winner Charged In 3rd Rape Case

• W. Loop Salon Owner Charged With Rape Faces Eviction From River North Spot

• Tanning Salon Owner Allegedly Raped 2nd Woman After Judge Tossed 2013 Case

• Tanning Salon Owner Raped Client in West Loop, Prosecutors Say

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