In a shocking case of international sex trafficking, Sumalee Intarathong, a 59-year-old Thai woman, has been extradited to the United States and indicted for her role in a massive sex trafficking conspiracy.
According to allegations in the superseding indictment, Intarathong served as a boss/trafficker for the organization, compelling hundreds of women from Bangkok, Thailand, to engage in commercial sex acts in various cities across the United States.
The indictment charges Intarathong with 10 counts, including conspiracy, human trafficking violations, and visa fraud. Thirty-six co-defendants have been charged and convicted for their roles in the conspiracy.
Intarathong was arrested in Belgium on August 5, 2016, and has been in detention pending further proceedings. Her initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright was held on February 16, 2021.
As part of the conspiracy, victims were forced to repay an exorbitant “bondage debt” of between $40,000 and $60,000. Intarathong and other co-conspirators arranged for victims to travel from Thailand to the United States and placed them in a house of prostitution.
The organization engaged in widespread visa fraud to facilitate the international transportation of the victims. Members of the criminal organization assisted the victims in obtaining fraudulent visas and travel documents.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and Intarathong is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
Sumalee Intarathong, 59, Citizen of Thailand, Charges: 1. Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1. Sex trafficking by use of force, fraud, and coercion, 1. Conspiracy to commit forced labor, 1. Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1. Transportation to engage in prostitution, 1. Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1. Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1. Conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, Diplomatic Security Service, St. Paul Police Department, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, and Cook County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Belgium.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda Williams and Laura Provinzino are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
Related Federal Cases
- John Doe, Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Minnesota 2022 · Wisconsin
- Arthur James Chappell, Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Sex Crimes, Minnesota 2012 · Illinois
- Nathan Nicholson, Sex Trafficking of Minors, Illinois 2023 · Illinois
- Robert Ficzner, Child Sex Abuse Material Trafficking, Indiana 2024 · North Carolina
- Naasón Joaquín García, Sex Trafficking, California 2019 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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