FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – The third and remaining suspect arrested in connection to the widespread operation of a high-end brothel service, which spanned from northern Virginia to Massachusetts, has pleaded responsible to his position within the group.
Han “Hana” Lee, Junmyung Lee, James Lee, have been arrested in November 2023 and charged with conspiracy to steer, induce, entice, and coerce people to interact in prostitution, in addition to cash laundering conspiracy. The three have been indicted simply over a yr in the past, for operating brothels in each Boston and Fairfax County.
In accordance with Performing Massachusetts U.S. Legal professional Josh Levy, the three allegedly facilitated the motion of predominantly Asian ladies throughout the nation for intercourse trafficking.
All Three Convicted
Prosecution Wins:
Han Lee pleaded responsible to costs of conspiracy to induce people to interact in prostitution and cash laundering again in September 2024. She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2025
Han Lee was allegedly the supervisor of the prostitution community. Prosecutors say to hide the proceeds of the prostitution community, she deposited massive sums of money into private and third-party accounts and made peer-to-peer transfers. The cash was additionally used to buy cash orders to pay for lease and utilities on the brothel areas, in line with charging paperwork.
Junmyung Lee, who, in line with prosecutors, served primarily because the reserving agent, pleaded responsible to 1 rely of conspiracy to steer, coerce or entice individuals to journey interstate to interact in prostitution, and one rely of cash laundering in November 2024. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2025.
And on Wednesday, Feb. 26, the third and remaining defendant, James Lee, pleaded responsible to his actions which might be detailed in courtroom paperwork. In 31 pages, the USA District Court docket outlines James Lee’s involvement within the prostitution ring as a liaison.
In accordance with courtroom paperwork, 70-year-old James Lee and one other co-conspirator would get leases on residences the place “industrial intercourse might happen” in his identify and pretend identities. In a single occasion, prosecutors say he lied to residence administration that the place was for his “daughter.” James Lee was reportedly paid roughly $1,000 per 30 days per energetic lease as a fee by Han Lee.
Except for his connection to the prostitution he’s additionally responsible of wire fraud in 2020 and 2021 for getting virtually $600,000 in COVID-19 aid funds. Lee’s subsequent courtroom look will probably be in April for his sentencing, the place he faces as much as 20 years in jail.
Prostitution Ring Busted
The backstory:
The DOJ started its investigation in July 2020 when investigators found posts on two web sites that marketed appointments with Asian ladies in both larger Boston or northern Virginia.
Each web sites claimed to supply Asian fashions who would pose nude for skilled pictures shoots at upscale studios and would permit “shoppers” to arrange appointments with ladies listed on their web sites.
Court docket paperwork say the members of the operation would entice ladies to interact in prostitution throughout state strains via the web sites, charging anyplace between $350-$800 per hour in money.
The patrons allegedly needed to full a kind offering their full names, e mail deal with, telephone quantity, employer and references if that they had one to be eligible for an appointment, in line with the charging paperwork.
Prosecutors haven’t publicly named any of the patrons they usually haven’t been charged but it surely’s believed that the community might have had “a whole lot of shoppers,” together with authorities contractors with safety clearances, medical doctors, attorneys, elected officers, navy officers, professors and executives at tech firms.
The 2 Virginia buildings that the intercourse ring was utilizing as brothels have been the Avalon Mosaic Flats in Fairfax and Hanover Tysons luxurious residences in Tysons the place the lease reached over $3,600.
The Supply: FOX 5 reporting, U.S. District Court docket paperwork, Division of Justice
