The accused ringleaders of a network of “sophisticated high-level brothels” that provided services to politicians, military officials and government contractors kept “impeccable” records of their illicit operations that netted them more than $1 million, one of the suspects said. lead federal investigators in the case. revealed on Wednesday.
The new details about the prostitution ring, which operated out of luxury apartments in Massachusetts and Virginia, were included in an affidavit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts by Department of Justice Special Agent Homeland Security, Zachary Mitlitsky.
The DHS agent argued that two of the co-conspirators in the case, Han Lee and Junmyung Lee, could have access to even more funds than investigators already know about and therefore pose a flight risk and should remain Behind bars.
Han, described by Mitlitsky as the leader of the scheme, “hid more than $1 million in prostitution profits,” according to the document.
The “sophisticated high-end brothels” served politicians, military officials, and government contractors. Justice Department
During a search of the 41-year-old’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, apartment, Mitlitsky discovered “large quantities” of condoms and lubricants, lingerie, pregnancy and UTI test kits, and false eyelashes, as well as $22,000 in cash, dozens of gifts cards, 16 cell phones and ledgers detailing the operation’s financial records, according to his affidavit.
“I think Han’s financial and business records were impeccable,” Mitlitsky says.
“Han kept accounting books detailing the daily activities of his brothels. At the time of the search warrant’s execution, one of those ledgers was open to a page showing the women’s stage names, dates and times of appointments, and income,” he writes, noting that one of The names listed in the ledger matched a woman allegedly pimped online by the defendants and found present at the Tysons, Virginia, brothel during the execution of a search warrant.
Condoms and lubricants, lingerie, pregnancy and urinary infection test kits, and false eyelashes were found, as well as $22,000 in cash, dozens of gift cards, 16 cell phones and accounting books. Justice Department
“Next to the ledger were envelopes containing large amounts of cash and handwritten notes with the women’s stage names and an account of their earnings,” Mitlitsky says.
The agent describes finding a Louis Vuitton shoe box in Han’s apartment that contained hundreds of well-organized money order receipts, some of which he believes could be previously unaccounted for profits from the operation.
Items indicative of Han’s lavish and extravagant spending habits were also found, including luxury handbags and shoes from designers such as Yves St. Laurent, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo.
The records of the illicit operation showed that they earned more than a million dollars, revealed one of the main federal investigators in the case. Justice Department
Investigators also found a cellphone that Han appears to have used to communicate with sex workers through a South Korean messaging app.
“During these communications, Han not only listed a brief description of the intended clients, the expected sexual services and corresponding prices, and the appointment schedule for the day, but he also established what I believe are his internal rules for female workers. commercial sex companies that are dedicated to sex. for a fee at the brothel apartments,” Mitlitsky writes, noting that Han used a photo of her pug dog as a profile photo.
Junmyung Lee was believed to be “in charge of booking appointments for sex clients,” according to Mitlitsky, who discovered $5,000 in cash, four ledgers/appointment books, and several computers and cell phones during a search of his home in Dedham, Massachusetts. , department.
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A photograph of a diary included in the affidavit appears to show that at least one of the sex workers slaved for approximately 10 hours on October 18, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m., with a break of one hour. .
“Taken together, these three photographs show that the prostitution ring not only kept meticulous daily records of its operations, but also kept them over a long period of time,” Mitlitsky says.
Like Han, Junmyung, 30, also spent lavishly, according to the filing.
Authorities confiscated a Chevrolet Corvette belonging to Junmyung and valued at nearly $70,000, for which “a down payment was believed to have been made with the proceeds of prostitution.”
Deposits in Junmyung’s bank accounts amounted to approximately $378,365, according to the agent. Han’s bank accounts showed approximately $965,000 in deposits, mostly in cash, as of December 2019.
According to the affidavit, neither of them appeared to have had a legitimate job in years.
“There is serious concern on the part of investigators that Han may have control over other as-yet-unidentified accounts,” Mitlitsky writes, noting that he appears to have transferred tens of thousands of dollars to South Korean bank accounts and as many as 30 people, indicating that the operation may be larger than what is currently known.
After Mitlitsky submitted his affidavit, lawyers for Han and Junmyung on Wednesday agreed to a voluntary detention order signed by Judge David Hennessy.
A photograph of a diary included in the affidavit appears to show that at least one of the sex workers worked as a slave for approximately 10 hours on October 18, 2022. DOJ
His lawyers may request his release at a later date.
A detention hearing has not yet been scheduled for a third alleged member of the prostitution ring, 68-year-old James Lee.
The three were captured by federal authorities on November 8.
A cell phone is shown detailing the summary of the operation, according to his affidavit. Justice Department
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said at the time of their arrests that the “buyers of commercial sex allegedly included elected officials, pharmaceutical and high-tech executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors holding security clearances, professors , lawyers, scientists. , and accountants, among others.”
“The investigation into the involvement of sex buyers is active and ongoing,” the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office said at the time.
No information has been made public about the identities of the prostitution ring’s alleged clients.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn