Manager of high-end brothels in Virginia, Massachusetts pleads guilty in federal case
Leader of high-end brothel ring in Virginia pleads guilty
Han Lee, the manager of a high-end interstate prostitution network operating brothels in Massachusetts and Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to charges of conspiracy to induce individuals to engage in prostitution and money laundering. FOX 5's Katie Barlow has the story.
Han Lee, the manager of a high-end interstate prostitution network operating brothels in Massachusetts and Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to charges of conspiracy to induce individuals to engage in prostitution and money laundering.
Lee, 42, of Cambridge, was charged in November 2023 alongside co-defendants Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, Mass., and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, Calif.
A federal grand jury indicted the defendants in February 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2024.
Prosecutors say that since at least July 2020, Lee managed a sophisticated network of brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass., as well as Fairfax and Tysons, Va., persuading women, primarily Asian, to travel across state lines to work as prostitutes.
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Attorneys representing doctors, lawyers and elected officials who reportedly patronized a high-end brothel in Northern Virginia are pushing to keep their identities concealed.
The women were provided lodging at the brothels and enticed by the promise of a steady clientele that had undergone thorough vetting to ensure they were not law enforcement or otherwise posed a risk.
Lee and her co-defendants allegedly rented and furnished high-end apartments to serve as brothel locations and advertised their services through two websites, bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog. These sites claimed to offer professional photography sessions but were a front for prostitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Each website required potential customers to complete a detailed verification process, providing personal and employer information, which Lee used to ensure the safety of the women and the secrecy of the operation, prosecutors said.
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A high-end brothel network that reportedly flew sex workers in from across the country and put them up in luxury apartments in Virginia, and even required buyers to provide their employer information and references, was busted by the Department of Justice.
To conceal the proceeds of the prostitution network, Lee deposited large sums of cash into personal and third-party accounts and made peer-to-peer transfers. The money was also used to purchase money orders to pay for rent and utilities at the brothel locations, according to charging documents.
Lee faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years for the money laundering charge. She also faces fines of up to $250,000 and $500,000, respectively.
The investigation remains ongoing.