The third alleged chief within the intercourse ring prosecutors say attracted bigwig johns in Greater Boston and in japanese Virginia is lastly scheduled for an preliminary look in a Massachusetts federal court docket.
Police arrested James Lee, 68, of Torrance, Calif., on the identical day of his co-conspirators, Nov. 8, 2023, however within the federal jurisdiction of California’s Central Division, the place a Justice of the Peace choose in Los Angeles ordered him detained till he might be extradited to Massachusetts, in keeping with that court docket’s data.
On Wednesday, Lee’s identify appeared on the primary Massachusetts federal court docket docket, the place he’s scheduled for an preliminary look at 2 p.m. Tuesday within the federal court docket in Worcester.
Lee and alleged prison companions Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham and alleged ringleader Han Lee, 41, of Cambridge, face a cost every of conspiracy to coerce and entice to journey to interact in unlawful sexual exercise.
Junmyung Lee and Han Lee every had an preliminary look nearly earlier than U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy on the day of their arrests.
The fees towards the three had been introduced at a press convention within the U.S. Attorney’s workplace within the federal court docket in Boston’s Seaport District on the day of their arrests. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy mentioned the “brothel network” was a “booming” enterprise the place rich shoppers paid as much as $600 for high-end prostitutes.
“Pick a profession, they’re probably represented in this case,” Levy mentioned that day. “They are the men who fueled this commercial sex ring.”
The “potentially hundreds” of patrons haven’t but been named, although a member of the Cambridge Police Department who’s a part of a Homeland Security Investigations job drive submitted purposes for complaints at Cambridge District Court towards 28 alleged shoppers of the intercourse ring spanning Greater Boston and right down to japanese Virginia on Dec. 19.
Prosecutors say a multiyear investigation revealed the trio managed web sites promoting girls for prostitution “under the guise of professional nude photo shoots, and established brothels in order to facilitate the engagement of commercial sex.” One of the web sites was targeted on Massachusetts and directed johns to certainly one of not less than 4 completely different high-priced residences in Greater Boston for intercourse commerce, whereas one other did the identical for johns in japanese Virginia, in keeping with charging paperwork.
According to charging paperwork, James Lee procured the identities of different males and used these identities to lease the areas the place the brothels operated. A legislation enforcement affidavit filed within the case included scans of three driver’s licenses below completely different names and separate images, however the feds say it’s the identical man.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”