One of roughly 20 defendants charged in November for his involvement in the proliferation of a multi-state prostitution network decided to turn himself in just before the New Year. The 44-year-old New Yorker was being sought on various charges, including conspiring to distribute cocaine, transporting individuals across state lines for illicit purposes, and money laundering.
According to the FBI, the prostitution ring is believed to have been operating brothels in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, and Texas. The network attempted to disguise itself through an otherwise legal business model of providing various health spas and massage treatments.
The New York bureau of the FBI has taken a lead in the case, as the majority of operations appear to have been based in their state. A photo of the man who turned himself in had been released to local newspapers back in November. He will likely use his willingness to be the first to come forward in an attempt to negotiate a reduction of his charges or sentencing time. He and the approximately 20 other defendants could each face up to 45 years in prison for charges filed by the FBI thus far.
It appears the prostitution ring largely utilized Korean women, and the FBI has therefore focused the majority of their investigation within New York’s Korean communities. The investigation has already revealed that the network was organized enough to seek out and hire certain taxi drivers to deliver their prostitutes to various clients from state to state for the purpose of performing sex acts for money.
Source: The Queens Gazette “Flushing Fugitive Surrenders To Feds” 1/5/11