Three people have been charged in a “high-end” brothel scheme in Massachusetts and Virginia that had politicians, tech executives, and government contractors as customers, according to the Department of Justice.
Han Lee of Cambridge, Massachusetts, James Lee of Torrance, California, and Junmyung Lee of Dedham, Massachusetts, were charged with conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to the DOJ, the three suspects allegedly ran “sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia. Commercial sex buyers allegedly included elected officials, high tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors that possess security clearances, professors, attorneys, scientists and accountants, among others.”
According to an affidavit from a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security who investigated the case, the suspects advertised women for commercial sex on two different websites “under the guise of professional nude photo shoots” and “established brothels.”
The locations in Massachusetts used for the commercial sex were in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, both cities not far from Boston. The locations used in Virginia were in Tysons and Fairfax, wealthy northern Virginia cities not far from Washington, D.C.
Clients would book appointments with an Asian woman on one of two websites and then would be sent a location, according to the DOJ. Both sites claimed to not promote commercial sexual activity, but investigators said women were advertised on the sites for prostitution.
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The investigation has been ongoing since 2020 and about 20 “sex buyers” were interviewed, the affidavit said. Customers would be sent a “menu” and would be able to choose what kind of sexual experience they would have, the DOJ said. Investigators said customers paid between $350 and $600 per hour for sexual services.
“All three target subjects have engaged in substantial amounts of cash deposits and peer-to-peer transfers with one another and others who I believe are tied to the conspiracy. I believe this transfer of money is consistent with the targets sharing the proceeds of the prostitution business and also disguising the true nature and source of the funds,” the affidavit said.
The customers, which included politicians and military officials, were not named. The affidavit said that this was because the investigation into their involvement with prostitution was ongoing.