7 more arrested in prostitution sting at Chesterfield massage parlors - Richmond Times-Dispatch

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Virginia State Police on Thursday announced seven more arrests in an ongoing undercover investigation into sexually illicit massage businesses in Chesterfield County. Chesterfield authorities have previously said the suspects in the probe are linked to commercial human trafficking across the East Coast by a Chinese crime ring.


Police said they arrested the following individuals on June 20:

• Meizhu Chen, 44, of Flushing, New York, charged with prostitution and keeping or residing in a bawdy place
• Saihua Huang 38, of Brooklyn, New York, charged with prostitution and keeping or residing a bawdy place
• Xiuwen Zhang, 56, of Midlothian, charged with prostitution and keeping or residing in a bawdy place
• Jing Jiang, 55, of Chesterfield, charged with prostitution and keeping or residing in a bawdy place
• Guoqiang Li, 56, of Chesterfield, charged with keeping or residing in a bawdy place and operating a massage clinic without proper licensing or permitting
• Yun Su, 54, of Chesterfield, charged with performing massages without permitting
• Kun Liu, 54, charged with prostitution, keeping or residing in a bawdy place and operating a massage clinic permit without proper licensing or permitting

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Chen was employed at Sunshine Health Massage at 255 Wadsworth Drive in Chesterfield, police said. Huang was employed at Lucky Star Leisure Center at 9912 Chester Road in Chester. Zhang was employed at XL Massage at 13549 Midlothian Turnpike in Midlothian. Su was employed at Aura Massage at 13546 Waterford Place in Midlothian.


Jiang, Li and Liu all worked at Coca Spa, located at 911 N. Courthouse Road in Chesterfield.


Jiang and Li are next scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, according to court records. Zhang is next scheduled to appear in court on July 8. Chen, Huang, Su and Liu are next scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 21.


The arrests were made by Chesterfield police and VSP’s Virginia Capital Area Human Trafficking Task Force, police said.


Sixteen people have now been charged in the investigation. Police did not clarify the cause of the latest arrests but, in prior cases, the suspects have been detained after offering to perform sexual acts on undercover detectives for additional pay.


Chesterfield police Lt. Edward Pierpont previously told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the results of the investigation are symptomatic of a “national problem.”


The suspects travel to the U.S. — often arriving in Flushing, which Pierpont described as a “nexus” of the criminal activity — and are shuttled by handlers to various massage parlors, restaurants and other businesses around the country.


The victims often decline to come forward due to fear of retribution, Pierpont said. They may also be taken from place to place, making it difficult to track them.


“Virginia today, New York tomorrow, maybe North Carolina next week,” Pierpont said.


The investigation is ongoing.


Samuel B. Parker

(804) 649-6462

sparker@timesdispatch.com

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