3 charged with working subtle intercourse ring that catered to elected officers, navy officers

BOSTON — Three individuals have been charged with working a classy industrial intercourse ring in Massachusetts and jap Virginia that catered to well-connected purchasers equivalent to elected officers and navy officers, federal prosecutors stated on Wednesday.

Women had been featured on web sites that falsely claimed to promote nude Asian fashions for skilled images, and high-end flats with month-to-month rents as excessive as $3,660 had been used as brothels, prosecutors say. Another web site allowed purchasers to charge the ladies, prosecutors say.

“This commercial sex ring was built on secrecy and exclusivity, catering to a wealthy and well-connected clientele, and business was booming, until today,” Levy stated.

Authorities haven’t named the individuals believed to have purchased providers by means of the ring, and none of them have been charged. But Acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Josh Levy confused that the investigation is within the early phases, and stated that prosecutors are dedicated to holding accountable each those that ran the scheme and people who “fueled the demand for this ring.”

Levy stated there have been presumably a whole lot of purchasers, together with authorities contractors with safety clearances, docs, legal professionals, elected officers, navy officers, professors and executives at tech corporations.

Han “Hana” Lee 41, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, James Lee, 68, of Torrance, California and Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham, Massachusetts are charged within the case with conspiracy to coerce and entice others to journey to have interaction in unlawful sexual exercise.

An legal professional for Han Lee declined to remark and an electronic mail in search of remark was despatched to a lawyer for Junmyung Lee. There was no legal professional listed for James Lee in courtroom data, and a message in search of remark was despatched to a quantity listed as a relative.

Authorities used surveillance and telephone data to establish intercourse consumers and interviewed about 20 of them in the course of the investigation, in line with courtroom papers. One purchaser informed investigators he was directed through textual content message to an condo and supplied a menu of girls, providers and the hourly charge. Levy stated males might change into pre-cleared for intercourse providers in a course of much like TSA PreCheck.

Han and Junmyung are accused of working the day-to-day operations of the Massachusetts brothels, and Han can also be accused of overseeing the day by day operations of the Virginia ones, in line with courtroom papers. That included arranging for transportation for the ladies and amassing proceeds, authorities allege. Prosecutors say James Lee additionally leased a number of of the present and former brothel areas in Massachusetts and Virginia.