Hong Ru Lin, Prostitution, New York 2026

New York Couple Arrested for Operating Prostitution Ring

In a shocking case of human exploitation, a Putnam Valley husband and wife were arrested and charged with operating a prostitution business at multiple massage parlors in New York.

Hong Ru Lin, 50, and Kena Zhao, 45, both of Putnam Valley, New York, were taken into custody on May 7, 2026 and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy.

The indictment alleges that the couple operated a prostitution business out of multiple massage parlors in Putnam, Westchester, New York, and Queens County. They managed a roster of women who worked at the massage parlors and performed sexual acts for the customers of Lin and Zhao.

According to the indictment, Lin and Zhao used cellphones to communicate with potential customers, assign particular employees to customers, monitor the income of their prostitution business, and set performance goals for the women who worked in the massage parlors.

The couple is charged with violating the Travel Act and conspiring to violate the Travel Act, each count carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office in bringing the couple to justice.

If you feel you may be a victim of or have information related to the conduct in this case, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or at tips.fbi.gov.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division and the White Plains Division.

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