BOSTON — The appointment “booker” who managed “over 2,800 verified customers” in an interstate commercial sex ring in greater Boston and Virginia that authorities said catered to “wealthy and well-connected clientele” pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday.
Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, pleaded guilty 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, Acting U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said in a statement.
His guilty plea came one month after the head of the interstate commercial sex ring, Han “Hana” Lee, 42, of Cambridge, pleaded guilty in the case on Sept. 27. In court, Han Lee admitted to recruiting sex workers, getting them transportation to the brothel locations in Cambridge and Watertown, and then concealing the profits of the brothel with money orders.
A second man, James Lee, 69, of California, following a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, is in the process of negotiating a plea, with a change of plea hearing expected to be scheduled for some time in December, according to court records.
All three were indicted by a federal grand jury in February on charges of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution, and money laundering conspiracy.
All three are accused of running a “sophisticated” commercial sex network in Watertown, Cambridge, and in Virginia, where buyers paid up to $600 per hour for a wide array of advertised sex acts. They were arrested in November.
As “booker,” Junmyung Lee was responsible for vetting sex buyers, booking appointments, as well as communicating directly with vetted customers via at least two cell phones – for Massachusetts and for Virginia, respectively, Levy said.
Prosecutors said these brothel cell phones each contained over 2,800 verified customers of the prostitution business.
Another known cell phone holding additional contacts for the Virginia brothel was never recovered, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the trio charged sex buyers a premium price for appointments with women advertised on their websites. Buyers paid anywhere from $350 to upwards of $600 per hour for sex, depending on the services. They 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, prosecutors said. Hundreds of thousands of dollars from these proceeds were used to buy money orders 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, prosecutors said.
Junmyung Lee was recruited to work for the prostitution network in approximately late 2021 through early 2022, as the business expanded, Levy said.
His main role in the conspiracy was that of the appointment “booker” and assisted with various tasks to maintain the prostitution network, Levy said. In exchange, Han Lee paid Junmyung Lee $6,000 to $8,000 per month.
Junmyung Lee also helped transport women to and from the airport, with some women working at the brothel locations on multiple occasions and in multiple states, prosecutors said. At the direction of Han Lee, he also collected the cash proceeds from the various brothel locations, and then concealed proceeds through structured deposits into personal bank accounts.
In June 2022, Junmyung Lee leased one of the brothel locations in Cambridge under his own name, prosecutors said.
In exchange for the lease, Junmyung Lee received a large cash payment of prostitution proceeds from Han Lee, which he then used to buy a Corvette, prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, nearly two-dozen Boston-area John Does are fighting to keep their names private. Elected officials, doctors, lawyers, professors, accountants, and military officers were reportedly among a group of “high-end” clients who paid for the illegal sex services at various locations in the Bay State and in Virginia.
No names on the client list will be released until probable cause has been found, officials have said.
A Supreme Judicial Court ruling handed down in February said the probable cause hearings would be public. It was unclear Thursday when, or if, public court hearings would be held.
Since July 2020, Han Lee operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, as well as in Fairfax, Virginia and Tysons, Virginia, prosecutors said.
She “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,” prosecutors said.
With her two associates, prosecutors said Han Lee rented high-end apartments as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. Then, they coordinated the women’s airline travel and transportation and allowed 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.”
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, Han Lee and her two alleged associates “established house rules” for the women during their stays, prosecutors said.
Websites advertising nude models for professional photography at upscale studios served as a front for the prostitution ring, prosecutors said.
Investigators searched and seized the domain names for the websites after obtaining search warrants that were executed in November 2023.
Each website had a verification process for interested sex buyers to become eligible for appointment bookings, prosecutors said. Clients were required to complete a form providing their full names, email address, phone number, employer and reference if they had one.
Han Lee and her two alleged associates 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,” prosecutors said.
The trio also maintained local brothel phone numbers, prosecutors said. These were used to text with customers and schedule appointments; send customers a “menu” of available women, sexual services available and the hourly rate; and also to text customers directions to the brothel’s location “where they engaged in commercial sex with the women.”
A Cambridge police detective on Dec. 18, 2023 filed applications for criminal complaint against 28 people for sexual conduct with another person for a fee.
Han Lee and Junmyung Lee face up to 25 years in prison and up to three years of supervised released, as well as a $750,000 fine.
Junmyung Lee was released on $75,000 unsecured bond, among conditions that he not violate federal, state or local laws; cooperate with the collection of a DNA sample if authorized; adhere to GPS location monitoring; and inform the court in writing if he changes his residence or phone number. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 12.
Han Lee could also be deported, since she is not a U.S. citizen. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 20. She remains in federal custody.
Anyone with information, concerns or questions about the case is urged to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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