The Justice Department on Wednesday announced arrests in a high-end brothel network used by elected officials, military officers, doctors and more.
“Three individuals have been arrested in connection with operating sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia. Commercial sex buyers allegedly included elected officials, high tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors that possess security clearances, professors, attorneys, scientists and accountants, among others,” the US Attorney’s Office of the District of Massachusetts said.
According to the DOJ, the following defendants have been charged with conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity:
- Han Lee, a/k/a “Hana,” 41, of Cambridge, Mass.;
- James Lee, 68, of Torrance, Calif.; and
- Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham, Mass.
According to the charging documents, the defendants operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels from July 2020 to present in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia.
The US Attorney’s Office did not disclose the client list.
“This case goes back to the summer of 2022 when investigators identified several buyers through surveillance phone records and interviews,” Acting US Attorney for Massachusetts, Joshua Levy said. “The buyers who made up this ring hail from an array of professions.”
He added: “They are doctors, they are lawyers, they are accountants, they are elected officials, they are executives of high tech companies and pharmaceutical companies, they are military officers, government contractors, professors, scientists. They are the men who fuel this commercial sex ring.”
“There are potentially hundreds of individuals who took these services as commercial sex buyers,” Levy said, noting the investigation into the brothels is still ongoing.
“Alleged prospective sex buyers in this scheme first had to respond to a survey and provide information online, including their driver’s license photos, their employer information, credit card information, and they often paid a monthly fee to be part of this.”
