Feng Yang Chen, Interstate Sex Trafficking, New York 2024

BUFFALO, N.Y. – A federal grand jury has slapped an indictment on three New York residents accused of running a sprawling, multi-state sex trafficking operation. Feng Yang Chen, 41, LiangLiang Guo, 31, and Cheng Qi Li, 28, all of Flushing, NY, now face federal charges stemming from a years-long scheme that exploited vulnerable individuals for profit.

According to the indictment, unsealed today, the trio allegedly conspired to violate the Mann Act and the Travel Act between March 2011 and March 2016. They’re accused of using Backpage.com to advertise and facilitate prostitution across a dozen states – New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. The operation wasn’t just limited to advertising; it involved a calculated system of exploitation.

Feng Yang Chen bears the brunt of the charges, facing conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, alongside the actual act of sex trafficking itself. If convicted on these counts, Chen faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, with the potential for a life sentence. LiangLiang Guo and Cheng Qi Li are each looking at a maximum of five years behind bars if found guilty of the conspiracy charges.

The indictment details how Chen and Li ran a call center in Flushing, Queens, acting as dispatch for the operation. They allegedly scheduled meetings between prostitutes and clients, while Guo handled the logistics, driving the victims to various hotels and collecting the proceeds. Disturbingly, evidence points to some of the exploitation occurring right here in Tonawanda and Henrietta, NY. Twelve individuals were reportedly victimized during the course of the conspiracy, forced to travel state to state to engage in commercial sex acts.

Federal authorities aren’t just seeking prison time. They’re also pursuing forfeiture of a substantial haul: $476,354.74 in illicit profits, two properties in Flushing, NY, a 2012 Porsche Cayenne, and a slew of electronic devices – cell phones, computers, and iPads – used to manage the operation. Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. minced no words, calling the enterprise “particularly pernicious” and highlighting the cruelty of profiting from sexual exploitation. ICE-HSI Special Agent-in-Charge James C. Spero added that the charges aim to restore the dignity of the victims.

The investigation, a collaborative effort between 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, underscores the complex nature of combating human trafficking. It’s crucial to remember that an indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it unfolds.