Nineteen people were arrested, police said.
Nineteen people were arrested and six massage parlors were shuttered in raids last week. (NJ Advance Media File Photo) EDISON -- Nineteen people have been arrested on money laundering and prostitution charges after cops broke up a ring of massage parlors, according to the Middlesex County prosecutor's office.
Six massage parlors where people were engaged in prostitution or money laundering were closed in raids on Thursday and Friday, according to Prosecutor Andrew Carey.
The parlors and their operators, according to prosecutors, funneled illicit funds through the payment of expenses -- including, for one suspect, $150,000 in illegal cash.
"The law enforcement agencies of Middlesex County will remain diligent in closing down businesses that not only breed illegal activity but harm neighborhoods and infringe on the quality of life for all of our residents," Carey said in a news release.
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The parlors that were closed, according to Carey, were:
Pro Spa, 902 Oak Tree Avenue, South Plainfield; Q Health Center, 4475 South Clinton Avenue, South Plainfield; Oriental Wellness Center, 2201 South Clinton Avenue, South Plainfield; New Gold Day Spa Inc., 2013 Park Avenue, South Plainfield; Julie's Spa, 525 Milltown Road, North Brunswick, and Pro Acupressure Inc., 1910 Oak Tree Road, Edison.
The people charged in the sweep were the following, according to Carey's office:
- Chunlan Cui, 51, Edison, second degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution
- Sheng Lin, 42, Edison, resisting arrest, obstruction, third degree conspiracy of money laundering
- Quan Xiang, 45, Flushing, N.Y., engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
- Ock Lee, 44, Flushing, N.Y., engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
- Ok-Soon Hyung, 50, Flushing, N.Y.; engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
- Longshi Yu, 45, South Plainfield , third degree promoting prostitution, fourth degree engaging in prostitution
- Piao Shunshan, 54, Flushing, N.Y. third degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution, fourth degree engaging in prostitution
- Yongri Jin, 39, Scarborough, Maine, third degree money laundering
- Dan Chen, 39, Flushing, N.Y., fourth degree promoting prostitution, fourth degree maintaining a nuisance
- Mei Ling Jin, 49, Peapack, engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
- Ling Zhang, 44, Flushing, N.Y., engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
- Ge Yu Qi, 43, Flushing, N.Y .fourth degree promoting prostitution, fourth degree maintaining a nuisance, engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
- Xiao Liang Huang, 38, Flushing, N.Y., engaging in prostitution, a disorderly persons offense
- Chun Mei Zhou, 37, Queens, N.Y., fourth degree promoting prostitution. Fourth degree maintaining a nuisance
- Paul Turpanjian, 53, Ridgefield, third degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution
- Lianying Ji, 53, West Orange, third degree money laundering
- Marc Daichman, 60, West Orange, third degree promoting prostitution
- Xiao Fei Li, 50, College Point, N.Y., third degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution
- Bongkyu S Jung, 50, Cliffside Park, second degree money laundering, third degree promoting prostitution
The investigation began in March of this year, Carey said, and was aided by an anonymous tip sent to Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County.
South Plainfield Detective Joseph Indano, North Brunswick Detective Robert Powell, and Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Detective Ryan Tighe conducted the investigation, which is ongoing, authorities said. The Department of Treasury and Taxation, the federal Homeland Security Investigation Human Trafficking Unit and Immigration and Customs Enforcement assisted local authorities.
Bail was set at $60,000 for those charged with second-degree offenses; others had $20,000 bail or were released on their own recognizance.
Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
