Feds Pursue Charges Against 28 Suspected Clients: NBC Boston
TL/DR –
The US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts is seeking complaints against 28 alleged clients of a high-end brothel network that was busted recently. Three people, Han Lee, Junmyung Lee, and James Lee, have been charged with violating federal sex trafficking law for allegedly running the brothel. The brothel, which offered clients a menu of women and services, likely generated upwards of $1 million in just a few years, with Han Lee’s bank accounts having received $965,000 between December 2019 and October 2023.
US Attorney’s Office Targets 28 Clients in Massachusetts Brothel Network Investigation
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts is seeking charges against 28 alleged “sex buyers” as part of a wider investigation into a “high-end brothel network” operating in the state, said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy. The move follows the charging of three individuals alleged to be running a prostitution ring in Massachusetts and Virginia.
During a court hearing, prosecutors argued that defendants Han Lee and Junmyung Lee pose a flight risk and requested they remain detained. The judge concurred. Levy stated, “Our office made it clear when we announced charges of a commercial sex ring case…that the investigation was ongoing and that there would be accountability for the buyers who fuel the commercial sex industry.”
The List of potential clients includes politicians, military officers, professors, and pharmaceutical executives. Levy clarified that no names would be released until probable cause is established. If criminal charges are issued, referrals will then be made to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
According to prosecutors, the brothel network likely generated upwards of $1 million in a few years. The defendants face charges of violating federal sex trafficking law for allegedly running an exclusive, secret brothel, offering clients a selection of women and services at luxury apartments in Massachusetts and Virginia.
Investigators found evidence including money orders, bulk condoms and lubricants, and “appointment books” at the Massachusetts residences of the defendants. Han Lee’s U.S. bank accounts brought in $965,000, mainly in cash, between December 2019 and October 2023, with additional funds in South Korean accounts.
Despite no apparent legitimate employment, Han Lee claimed on rental applications an income of over $9,000 as a medical director. Items found in her apartment included bulk condoms and lubricants, lingerie, testing kits, $22,000 in cash, financial records, multiple gift cards, and sixteen cellphones.
One of those phones was linked to the northern Virginia brothel website, containing communications describing customers, services, pricing, and schedules, and house rules.
Junmyung Lee, who claimed to be a student on a rental application, was found to have a phone connected to the Boston brothel’s website, records of daily scheduling, and a Corvette allegedly purchased with prostitution proceeds.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts has a list of statewide resources for sexual assault survivors.
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