Feng Yang Chen, Sex Trafficking, New York 2016

Buffalo, NY – In a shocking case of human exploitation, three individuals have been indicted on sex trafficking charges in Buffalo, NY. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury, charges Feng Yang Chen, 41, LiangLiang Guo, 31, and Cheng Qi Li, 28, all of Flushing, NY, with conspiracy to violate the Mann Act and the Travel Act related to the operation of an interstate prostitution business.

Feng Yang Chen, the primary defendant, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. Guo and Li, on the other hand, face a maximum of five years in prison. The indictment alleges that the defendants used the website Backpage.com to promote a multi-state prostitution organization, posting advertisements that led to encounters with prostitutes in multiple states, including New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.

According to the indictment, Chen and Li operated a call center in Flushing, Queens that scheduled meetings between prostitutes and their clients. Guo drove the victims to various hotels and collected the proceeds from the commercial sex activities. Some of the commercial sex acts took place in Tonawanda, NY and Henrietta, NY. The indictment states that throughout the conspiracy, the defendants victimized 12 individuals who traveled state to state to engage in prostitution in various hotels.

The indictment is seeking the forfeiture of $476,354.74 in proceeds from the illegal prostitution activities; two properties located in Flushing, NY; a 2012 Porsche Cayenne; as well as multiple cellular telephones, computers, and iPads utilized during the prostitution conspiracy.

Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy stated, “While the sexual exploitation of another is a criminal act that victimizes the person exploited, a criminal enterprise such as this, which provides profits to those who orchestrate such exploitation, is particularly pernicious.”

The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tonawanda Police Department, the New York Police Department, the South Portland, Maine Police Department, and the Fairview Township Police Department.

The indictment is a result of an investigation that spanned several years, from March 2011 to March 2016. During this time, the defendants allegedly operated a complex prostitution ring, using the internet to promote their services and exploiting vulnerable individuals for financial gain.

The case highlights the need for law enforcement agencies to work together to combat human trafficking and exploitation. The indictment is a significant step towards bringing the defendants to justice and providing justice for the victims.

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