10 arrested in Lafayette massage parlor investigation
Eight locations raided after undercover investigation
10 arrested in Lafayette massage parlor investigation Eight locations raided after undercover investigation Check out this story on dailyworld.com: https://www.dailyworld.com/story/news/2014/08/25/arrested-lafayette-massage-parlor-investigation/14594771/
Amanda McElfresh, Louisiana Published 6:53 p.m. CT Aug. 25, 2014
Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft, along with Maj. Art Lebreton of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department, and Maj. Ned Fowler with the Lafayette Police, holds a press conference at the Lafayette Police Department Monday to announce the arrest of 10 people after a seven-month investigation into massage parlors operating as fronts for prostitution.(Photo: Leslie Westbrook, The Advertiser)
Authorities are continuing to investigate possible human trafficking and money laundering at several Lafayette massage parlors after multiple arrests last week.
Police have arrested 10 people on various charges after raiding seven Lafayette parlors last Thursday. Authorities said the parlors were fronts for prostitution.
The alleged ringleader of the operation, Pan Lan Ma, 60, of Lafayette, has been charged with 10 counts of promoting prostitution, pandering, letting premises for prostitution and money laundering, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said at a Monday press conference.
Lan Ma was arrested in Lake Charles, according to a statement from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office.
Also arrested in Lake Charles were Melvin Elliott, 67, of Lake Charles, and Shuxian Li, 48, of San Gabriel, Calif. Elliott was charged with 10 counts of inciting prostitution and 10 counts of pandering, according to the sheriff's office. Li was charged with two counts of prostitution by massage.
Calcasieu Parish authorities also reported the arrest of Maojin Cin, 60, of Lafayette, on 10 counts of promoting prostitution, 10 counts of pandering and 10 counts of letting a premise for prostitution. In Bossier City, police arrested Yan He Wang, 28, of Bossier City on 10 counts of promoting prostitution, 10 counts of pandering and 10 counts of letting a premise for prostitution.
Craft said the seven-month undercover operation began in February after police received multiple complaints from citizens and one media outlet about the parlors. Over time, the investigation began to center on seven Lafayette parlors, as well as similar spas in Lake Charles and Bossier City.
"Metro agents, through surveillance and undercover operations, identified numerous and ongoing violations of state laws that included practicing without a massage therapist license, prohibited sexual conduct and prostitution between massage parlor employees and their clients," Craft said. "Through this surveillance, agents discovered a pattern of money laundering through two massage parlors in Lafayette and Lake Charles, with connections to a third location in Bossier City."
Craft said police are still investigating the money laundering aspect of the case, particular as it relates to the parlors' clients. Agents have seized several laptop computers, iPads, ledgers, notes, bank documents, $13,650 in U.S. currency, 1,743 Hong Kong dollars and bank accounts connected to Ocean Spa LLC, based in Lafayette.
Most of the ledgers and documents are in Chinese, so police are bringing in translators to assist with the case, Craft said.
The operators and employees at all of the parlors in question are from China, Craft said.
"They (agents) discovered that most of the employees, all female, were living with limited means inside the massage parlors," Craft said. "We are also investigating a possible human trafficking aspect. Many of the employees were found not to have identification, and both their passports and any United States identification they held were being held by Pan Lan Ma," Craft said. "These girls were not free to move about the city, much less the state or the country."
The six Lafayette parlors that were found to have violations were Asian Massage, 135 Arnould Blvd.; Diamond Asian Massage, 1507 Kaliste Saloom Road; Fortune Massage, 117 Industrial Parkway; Best Massage, 4652 Johnston St.; Angel Massage, 258 Bendel Road and Ocean Spa, 2517 Pinhook Road. Police also searched an apartment at 221 Verot School Road and found it had some connections to the case, Craft said.
The Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy had sent cease-and-desist orders to the six establishments in May, Craft said. The parlors allegedly did not correct any reported problems before the police raids.
Another parlor, Rainbow Massage at 4702 Johnston St., was also searched, but was found to have no violations, Craft said. That location came into compliance with state regulations after it also received a cease-and-desist order, Craft said.
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