Manager of East Coast Prostitution Ring pleads guilty in federal court in Boston

In a major development involving a sophisticated prostitution ring operating along the East Coast, Han Lee, a 42-year-old manager of a network of luxury brothels in Greater Boston and Eastern Virginia, has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and money laundering . . Lee, a resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in connection with interstate travel for prostitution and a separate charge of money laundering, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These convictions carry possible sentences of up to five years for the prostitution conspiracy and up to 20 years for the money laundering conspiracy.

Han Lee’s sentencing is set for December 20, 2024. She was part of a trio, including Junmyung Lee and James Lee, who were arrested and charged following a federal grand jury’s decision in early 2024. This prostitution operation has been active since at least July 2020. , relied on rented luxury apartments and the recruitment of mostly Asian women in a network that stretched from Massachusetts to Virginia, according to officials.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Han Lee’s business model revolved around enticing women to travel and work as part of the prostitution ring, attracting consistent, vetted clients and offering accommodations at these discreet brothel locations. websites such as bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog, which were seized by investigators pursuant to search warrants executed last year.

The complex system designed to ensure client confidentiality and sex worker safety involved extensive client verification processes and the use of local telephone lines to discreetly schedule appointments and communicate service offers, with the price for sexual encounters ranging from about $350 to $600 per person. hour, but behind this organized facade lay a darker reality of exploitation and manipulation. Efforts to launder the illicit profits used strategically structured money orders and peer-to-peer transfers, common tactics used to evade financial auditing and reporting requirements, contributing to a network of deception and criminal activity.

Those with information about this case are encouraged to contact [email protected]. The efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and local law enforcement reflect a coordinated initiative to dismantle operations that exploit human dignity for profit. Although the charges against Han Lee have been substantiated, her alleged co-conspirators maintain the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.