Exeter Massage Parlor Owner Gets 4 Months for Prostitution Ring

CONCORD, NH – Ken Duc Ma, 60, of Exeter, New Hampshire, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to four months for running a lucrative prostitution operation hidden behind a network of massage businesses. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray announced the sentence today, marking the culmination of a multi-agency investigation that exposed a cynical scheme to exploit women for profit.

Court documents reveal that from at least March 1, 2015, through November 7, 2017, Ma operated Qi Natural Healing Massage, LLC in Plaistow, Oriental Bodyworks in Exeter, and Johnny’s Massage, also known as Qi Natural, in Salem. These weren’t legitimate massage businesses; they were fronts. Investigators quickly determined the businesses catered exclusively to male customers seeking more than just muscle relief. Customers admitted to paying cash for sexual services after leaving the establishments, a pattern confirmed through surveillance and direct questioning.

Ma wasn’t subtle. He aggressively advertised his services online, utilizing Backpage.com with postings in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The ads, placed under categories like “Massage,” “Adult Entertainment,” and even “Men Seeking Women,” featured sexually suggestive images of female employees in lingerie, leaving little doubt about the true nature of the “services” offered. All advertising was paid for directly by Ma, solidifying his role as the ringleader.

The November 7, 2017 raids on the three businesses and Ma’s residences yielded damning evidence. Investigators seized eleven boxes of white sheets used to cover massage tables and a staggering 1,092 condoms. But the most telling discovery was the cash – large amounts of it, wrapped in newspaper and hidden behind walls, along with more stashed in his primary residence. The money represented the profits from years of exploitation, now seized by the government.

Ma pleaded guilty on January 3, 2019. In addition to the four-month prison sentence, he’ll face three years of supervised release. More importantly, he’ll forfeit $186,466 in cash and the land and buildings in Plaistow, New Hampshire, used to facilitate his criminal enterprise. U.S. Attorney Murray made it clear: “The defendant in this case profited from illegal conduct that exploited women…His prison sentence and substantial forfeiture of property should serve as a deterrent to others.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, the New Hampshire State Police, and police departments in Exeter, Plaistow, Londonderry, and Salem. “HSI would like to thank our partners…whose efforts brought this defendant to justice,” stated Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Boston. The DSS echoed the sentiment, emphasizing their commitment to combating human trafficking and exploitation.