Defendant persuaded women to travel interstate to work for prostitution network and required sex buyers to undergo thorough screening process, including providing employer information and references
BOSTON — Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty Sept. 27 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 Dec. 20, 2024.
Han Lee was responsible for operating an interstate prostitution network of sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia. She was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents 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.
HSI’s investigation found that Han Lee operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia from at least July 2020. 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.
Specifically, Han Lee and her co-defendants allegedly rented high-end apartments as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. It is further alleged that the defendants coordinated the women’s airline travel and transportation and permitted them to stay overnight in the brothel locations so they did not have to find lodging elsewhere, therefore enticing women to participate in their prostitution network. Han Lee, allegedly with her co-defendants, established house rules for the women during their stays to protect and maintain the secrecy of the business and ensure that the women did not draw attention to the prostitution work inside apartment buildings.
The defendants allegedly advertised their prostitution network and offered appointments with women in either greater Boston or eastern Virginia via bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog, respectively. Both websites purported to advertise nude models for professional photography at upscale studios as a front for prostitution offered through appointments. Investigators searched and seized the domain names for both websites pursuant to search warrants executed in November 2023.
Additionally, each website described a verification process that interested sex buyers undertook to become eligible for appointment bookings — including requiring that clients complete a form providing their full names, email address, phone number, employer and reference if they had one. Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants persuaded the women to work for their prostitution network because the business maintained a regular customer base of men that were adequately screened, ensuring that the customers were not members of law enforcement or men who posed a risk to the safety and security of the commercial sex workers.
Han Lee and, allegedly, her co-defendants maintained local brothel phone numbers which they used to communicate with verified customers and schedule appointments via text messages; send customers a “menu” of available options at the brothel, including the women and sexual services available and the hourly rate; and to text customers directions to the brothel’s location where they engaged in commercial sex with the women.
According to the charging documents, the defendants charged sex buyers a premium price for appointments with the women advertised on their websites, which ranged 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. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia.
The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds laundered, whatever is greater.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Special Agent in Charge of HSI New England Michael J. Krol; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement Sept. 27. HSI’s investigation was led by the HSI Boston Human Trafficking and Smuggling group. Valuable assistance was provided by the Central District of California; Eastern District of Virginia; U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
HSI plays an integral role in combating human trafficking by working with its law enforcement partners to deter, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks that engage in it. Special agents use their expertise and rely on HSI’s authorities to seize assets and eliminate profit incentives, work with nongovernmental organizations to protect and assist victims, and bring traffickers to justice. HSI leads the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) to advance counter human trafficking law enforcement operations, protect victims and enhance prevention efforts. The CCHT integrates the efforts of every component within DHS involved in combating human trafficking, including criminal investigations, victim assistance, identifying and reporting human trafficking, external outreach, intelligence and training.
HSI’s Victim Assistance Program (VAP) provides a critical resource to HSI investigations and criminal prosecutions. The VAP helps preserve victims’ and survivors’ rights, helps connect them with the services they’re legally entitled to receive and provides them with the support they need to fully participate in the criminal justice process.
If you suspect human trafficking, call the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP. Callers may remain anonymous.