2 charged with operating sex ring that catered to wealthy clients will remain behind bars for now

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Two individuals accused of running an upscale prostitution network that served affluent and prominent clientele in Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C., suburbs will continue to be held in custody, as determined by a judge on Wednesday.

Han Lee and Junmyung Lee, the defendants in this case, opted for a voluntary detention order during a brief court hearing held two weeks subsequent to their apprehension. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy, situated in Worcester, Massachusetts, issued the order without bias, signifying that the defense attorneys may seek their release at a later date.

Following the hearing, the legal representatives of Han Lee and Junmyung Lee refrained from making any comments.

According to authorities, the illicit commercial sex ring operating in Massachusetts and northern Virginia catered to a client base comprising politicians, corporate executives, military officers, legal professionals, educators, and other well-connected individuals.

While prosecutors have refrained from publicly disclosing the identities of the clients or bringing charges against them, Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Josh Levy, has affirmed that the investigation remains ongoing. He further emphasized the commitment of the prosecution to hold both the orchestrators of the scheme and those who generated the demand accountable.

Prosecutors have presented the argument that Han Lee and Junmyung Lee present a flight risk, citing their financial resources and lack of community ties. A special agent from Homeland Security Investigations, in court documents filed on Wednesday, contended that Han Lee amassed a substantial amount of money as the leader of the operation.

Allegedly, the operation was conducted through websites that falsely claimed to promote nude Asian models for professional photography services. The operators leased upscale apartments for use as brothels in Watertown and Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as Tysons and Fairfax, Virginia.

It has been asserted that Han Lee recruited women and managed the websites and brothels. In return for his services, Junmyung Lee, an employee of Han Lee, received monthly cash payments ranging from $6,000 to $8,000 for tasks such as scheduling appointments for clients and facilitating the arrival of women at the brothels, among other responsibilities, as stated by the agent.

Prosecutors contend that the operators generated significant revenue through this network, with clients reportedly paying upwards of $600 per hour for services. To give the appearance of legitimacy, Han Lee purportedly concealed over $1 million in proceeds from the operation by converting cash into money orders, among other methods.

During the course of their investigation, authorities confiscated cash, ledgers detailing the operations of the brothels, and phones believed to have been used for communication with clients from the defendants’ residences, as per court documents. The agent also noted that items indicative of Han Lee’s opulent spending habits, including luxury footwear and bags, were discovered at her residence.

James Lee, a third individual implicated in this case, was arrested in California and has been ordered to remain in custody by a judge there as he awaits trial. He has not yet made an appearance in a Massachusetts court.

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• Ongoing Investigation into Prostitution Ring
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• Potential Penalties for Conviction