Posted on 11/09/2023 9:36:20 AM PST by bitt
Elected officials, doctors, lawyers, professors, accountants, and military officers were among a group of “high-end” clients who paid for sex at illegal Massachusetts brothels that were recently busted by federal investigators, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.
Acting United States Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy announced the arrest of 41-year-old Han Lee, of Cambridge, 68-year-old James Lee, of California, and 30-year-old Junmyung Lee, of Dedham, who are all accused of running a “sophisticated” brothel network in Watertown, Cambridge, and in Eastern Virginia, where buyers paid up to $600 per hour for a wide array of advertised sex acts.
Levy said the establishments were promoted on two different websites: Bostontop10.com and BrowneyesgirlVA.blog.
The websites listed the height, weight, and bust size of women available for appointments and depicted nude and semi-nude photographs of each, Levy noted. The women were also listed as available on the websites and were updated frequently to include “coming soon” or “open” to reflect the impending arrival of new women arriving in the area.
“The three individuals behind these websites facilitated the movement of predominantly Asian women across the United States for sex trafficking and a commercial sex ring, exploiting them in the process,” Levy said. “This commercial sex ring was built on secrecy and exclusivity, catering to wealthy, well-connected clientele, and business was booming until today.”
It’s alleged that the prospective sex buyers in this scheme first had to respond to a survey on the websites that included providing their driver’s license photos, employer information, and credit card numbers, and they often paid a monthly fee to be part of the “exclusive club,” according to Levy.
When the alleged buyers were verified, they were sent a text message and allowed to place orders from sex workers, including logistics regarding duration, location, type of encounters, offered services, and a “menu” listing out women up for purchase, an affidavit unsealed in court on Wednesday indicated.
The menu included “photographs of women available that day,” their hourly rate, and directions to the location of the brothels, according to Levy.
The affidavit showed that three suspects charged in connection with the case regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements to conceal the source of the funds.
These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia, the affidavit stated.
“These three individuals made hundreds of thousands of dollars running this ring,” Levy said. “This case goes back to the summer of 2020 when investigators identified several buyers.”
Levy alleged that the buyers included politicians, pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors who possess security clearances, professors, lawyers, business executives, technology company executives, scientists, accountants, retail employees, and students.
“Pick a profession. They’re probably represented in this case,” Levy said. “They are the men who fueled this commercial sex ring.”
The affidavit also stated, “There are potentially hundreds of yet-to-be-identified customers that may include other professional disciplines not included in the list above.”
The three arrests came after investigators executed search warrants at the following locations, according to the affidavit:
80 Cambridgepark Drive, Unit 638, Cambridge, Massachusetts 71 Legacy Boulevard, Unit 207, Dedham, Massachusetts 1031 Park Circle Drive, Torrance, California 90 Fawcett Street, Unit 109, Cambridge, Massachusetts 90 Fawcett Street, Unit 435, Cambridge, Massachusetts 90 Fawcett Street, Unit 530, Cambridge, Massachusetts 66 Bond Street, Unit 221, Watertown, Massachusetts 2985 District Avenue, Unit 245, Fairfax, Virginia 1500 Westbranch Drive, Unit 649, Tysons, Virginia
Federal officials said they interviewed about 20 alleged sex buyers in connection with the yearslong investigation, and that those men described arranging to meet at various locations, including some of the “Target Locations” listed above.
The names of the buyers Levy referred to weren’t immediately available.
None of them have been charged, but Levy stressed that the investigation is in the early stages.
The charge of conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Sorry, 3 years ago...gotta quit fat fingering the number pad.
Did they offer special receipts that could be used for “expense accounts?”
600 bux?! well at least they make more than the poor nail salon girls. /s I am sure they get to keep .50.
“The names of the buyers Levy referred to weren’t immediately available.”
That list was tucked into Epstein’s little black book....
Yes, but Lee and Kim are even more common Korean surnames. Nevertheless, I wasn't going by "Lee" so much as the first names of two of them, definately Korean.
And Swalwell brought his home with him!
I’ll agree that prostitution isn’t good for the public order so I’m not really for legalizing it. However, on an individual level I really don’t give a crap if some guy wants to pay for sex. Usually the ones making snarky comments about someone “not being able to get it without paying” are dating or married to some 50 year old 250lb land whale that no one would want to touch anyway. So what if some successful guy wants to pay a 22yo sorority bimbo for it? Have at it & have a good time.
OK
While this probably started off as an illegal (probably China) Honey Trap to blackmail certain people with political and technical knowledge, it is now likely something quite similar but with a different purpose.
“...The names of the buyers Levy referred to weren’t immediately available.
None of them have been charged, but Levy stressed that the investigation is in the early stages.
The charge of conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000....”
Now the Deep State will blackmail sending these “customer John’s” into doing the bidding of the Deep State. I hope someone is watching this closely, to make sure that the Deep State doesn’t get these people to say and do things that are illegal.
This is a two party crime they are being charged with, without every patron of their services being charged, they shouldn’t be charged either.
It's disgusting that there are so many men out there who think that having a warm, wet spot to stick it into justifies this.
If I was suddenly single tomorrow and inclined to purchase some temporary physical solace, I wouldn’t know where to start! Guess I wouldn’t make a good doctor, lawyer or elected official!
Key words-"up to". Most were likely cheaper. Politicians are not THAT well paid! < /sarc >
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