Three ladies every acquired three years of probation, and two of them acquired further time in jail, after pleading responsible to exploiting prostitutes and laundering cash by six totally different Utah therapeutic massage parlors. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Three ladies every acquired three years of probation, and two of them acquired further time in jail, after pleading responsible to exploiting prostitutes and laundering cash by six totally different Utah therapeutic massage parlors.
- Lianfang Feng, 56, pleaded responsible in February to a sample of illegal exercise, cash laundering and exploiting prostitution, all third-degree felonies.
- Feng was sentenced on Could 8 to a few indeterminate phrases of zero to 5 years in jail, to run concurrently, however the sentence was suspended in favor of 90 days in jail and 36 months of probation.
- Ruixue Chen, 39, pleaded responsible in June 2022 to a sample of illegal exercise, a third-degree felony beforehand charged as a second-degree felony. She additionally pleaded responsible to exploiting prostitution, a third-degree felony.
- Chen was sentenced on Could 15 to 2 indeterminate phrases of zero to 5 years in jail, to run consecutively, however the sentence was suspended in favor of 73 days in jail and 36 months of probation.
- Xiu Yun Huo, 47, pleaded responsible in June 2022 to a sample of illegal exercise and exploiting prostitution, each third-degree felonies.
Huo was sentenced on Could 15 to 2 indeterminate phrases of zero to 5 years in jail, to run consecutively, however the sentence was suspended in favor of 36 months of probation.
In April 2021, West Valley Police acquired a tip from a girl recognized solely by her first identify who stated she labored at one among Huo's therapeutic massage parlors, GJO Therapeutic massage, 2101 W. 3500 South in West Valley Metropolis. Huo additionally owned Le Q Therapeutic massage, 363 E. 2100 South in Salt Lake Metropolis.
The lady instructed police that Huo's husband "finds ladies in Los Angeles and brings them to Utah to work," in accordance with the affidavit. The lady stated she believed she was coming to Utah to carry out massages, however that when she arrived in Utah, Huo requested her to carry out sexual acts, police stated.
The lady additionally stated that Huo typically despatched her and one other lady to Lavender Therapeutic massage, 359 E. State Highway in American Fork, to work for Huo's good friend Chen.
After receiving this tip, police and brokers from the Utah Lawyer Common's Workplace started investigating Huo and Chen's therapeutic massage parlors. They discovered that Feng was additionally in affiliation with Huo and Chen. Feng owned Magic Therapeutic massage and Blue Spot Spa in Salt Lake Metropolis, together with One Approach Therapeutic massage in Taylorsville.
Feng has been a topic of two legal investigations in Salt Lake Metropolis and one in Georgia, in accordance with an affidavit.
From Could to July 2021, brokers performed undercover operations at every of Huo's, Feng's and Chen's therapeutic massage parlors. Brokers have been supplied sexual acts in trade for cash in any respect areas.
In addition they performed surveillance on the therapeutic massage parlors and noticed Feng and Chen transport ladies between Feng's dwelling and her companies, in accordance with the affidavit.
Brokers served a search warrant at Feng's dwelling in September 2021 and located greater than $100,000, together with financial institution playing cards and paperwork confirming her involvement within the sting, in accordance with the Utah Lawyer Common's Workplace.
Brokers additionally served search warrants at Lavender Therapeutic massage and Chen's dwelling, the place they discovered messages from Chen telling one other lady how one can keep away from suspicion. In addition they discovered cash and paperwork related to Chen's therapeutic massage parlor.
Huo, Feng and Chen have been arrested Sept. 8, 2021.
"The ladies victims, on this case, have been struggling in plain sight," Leo Lucey, chief of the lawyer basic's Prison Investigations Division, stated in an announcement. "They have been working in servitude and trapped in a legal enterprise that was in depth and highly effective. We're happy that we're capable of work with our regulation enforcement companions and the Asian Affiliation of Utah as these ladies get better from the trauma they've endured."
Feng additionally had a number of prices dismissed as a part of a plea deal, together with three counts of aiding prostitution, all class A misdemeanors; and three counts of sustaining, committing or failing to take away a public nuisance, all class B misdemeanors.
She was additionally beforehand charged with aggravated exploitation of prostitution, a second-degree felony, which might be retried. A cost in opposition to Feng of human trafficking, a second-degree felony, was dismissed due to an absence of proof, in accordance with protection lawyer Brad Anderson.
Chen had a number of prices in opposition to her dismissed as a part of a plea deal, together with cash laundering, a second-degree felony; aiding prostitution, a category A misdemeanor; two counts of prostitution, a category B misdemeanor; and sustaining, committing or failing to take away a public nuisance, a category B misdemeanor.