Han Lee, Prostitution and Money Laundering, Massachusetts 2024

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - In a shocking turn of events, Han Lee, the manager of a high-end brothel network in greater Boston and eastern Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, Massachusetts, and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, California. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024.

According to the indictment, Han Lee operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia. The defendant established the infrastructure for these brothels in multiple states for the purposes of persuading, inducing and enticing women – primarily Asian women – to travel to Massachusetts and Virginia to engage in prostitution.

The brothels were operated in high-end apartments, which were furnished and regularly maintained by the defendants. The women were coordinated to travel to the brothels, where they would stay overnight and engage in commercial sex with clients. The defendants allegedly advertised their prostitution network and offered appointments with women in greater Boston or eastern Virginia via websites that purported to advertise nude models for professional photography at upscale studios.

The defendants maintained a regular customer base of men who were adequately screened to ensure their safety and security. The sex buyers were charged a premium price for appointments with the women, ranging from approximately $350 to upwards of $600 per hour, depending on the services and were paid in cash.

To conceal the proceeds of the prostitution network, Han Lee deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash proceeds into personal and third-party bank accounts and peer-to-peer transfers.

Han Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for December 20, 2024.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/lead-defendant-federal-case-against-high-end-brothel-network-pleads-guilty