Posing flight risk, 2 suspects in Boston brothel ring remain behind bars awaiting trial

WORCESTER —Two people accused of running “sophisticated high-end brothels” in Greater Boston and eastern Virginia will remain behind bars awaiting trial, at least, for now.

Han A. Lee, 41, of Cambridge, and Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham, are both charged with conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Both defendants, who are not related, were in federal court Wednesday in Worcester. The case is being heard in Worcester because that's where the presiding judge is sitting.

Assistant U.S. District Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein represented the prosecution and made a motion for detention because the defendants pose a flight risk.

Attorney John A. Amabile and assistant federal public defender Scott Lauer representing Junmyung Lee and Han Lee, respectively, entered a voluntary order of detention, which was entered by Judge David H. Hennessy, without prejudice.

According to the affidavit supporting the government’s motion for detention, Special Agent Zachary Mitlitsky of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigation said law enforcement used physical, electronic and video surveillance, subpoenaed financial and other records, reviewed public and business records, analyzed phone records, obtained court-authorized search warrants for precise location information for the personal cellphones of the target subjects and the brother business cellphones, obtained court-authorized warrant to search and seize the brothel websites, conducted witness interviews and seized prostitution proceeds.

Mitlitsky states that he believes that both Han and Junmyung Lee pose a flight risk based upon the strength of the case and evidence against them, the nature of the offense and corresponding elements of deceit, their financial resources both known and unknown, their lack of genuine ties to the community, their inability to work and support themselves due to their immigration statuses and the potential penalties they upon conviction.

According to the affidavit, Han Lee is the leader and organizer of this prostitution network, while Junmyung Lee, who is here on a student visa to attend a computer institute in Boston, works for Han Lee,

Elected officials, execs among clients

Commercial sex buyers allegedly included elected officials, high-tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors who possess security clearances, professors, attorneys, scientists and accountants, among others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

So far, no charges against the "buyers" have been announced.

Han Lee and Junmyung Lee are accused of advertising women for commercial sex through at least two different websites, under the guise of professional nude photo shoots, and establishing brothels in order to facilitate the engagement of commercial sex, according to the criminal complaint.

One of the websites focused its advertising in the Boston area and directed customers to several Boston-area brothels, while another website advertised in eastern Virginia and directed customers to two known brothels there, the criminal complaint states.

Han Lee communicated with and recruited women to travel interstate and engage in commercial sex for cash in Boston and eastern Virginia, the affidavit states.

She maintained the websites and business records associated with her organization, as well as maintained the brothel units, had been seen picking up and dropping off females and supplies, and had been paying for the rent and utilities, the affidavit states.

Han Lee concealed over $1 million in prostitution proceeds by purchasing structure money orders, making cash deposits into known U.S., accounts and engaged in various bank and peer-to-peer accounts transfers, the affidavit states.

The affidavit also states Han Lee maintained brothel cellphones and arranged appointments for customers and commercial sex workers.

According to the affidavit, Junmyung Lee was paid by Han Lee approximately $6,000 to $8,000 in cash per month.

He carried and maintained the brothel cellphones and communicated directly with the sex buyers and booked appointments for the customers and the women advertised on both the Virginia and the Boston brothel websites, assisted the commercial sex workers with their luggage and groceries when they arrived at and left the Boston brothel locations, transported the women to various brothel locations, and collected prostitution proceeds from the various brothel unites, the affidavit states.

Corvette purchased from proceeds

Junmyung Lee placed at least one brothel lease in his name, and Mitlitsky believes he purchased his 2018 Chevrolet Corvette using prostitution proceeds, according to the affidavit.

During the execution of the search warrants at six different brothel locations — four in Massachusetts and two in Virginia — investigators recovered multiple Asian women who were then advertised for commercial sex on two different websites, the affidavit states.

Investigators learned that these women traveled interstate and to Boston and Virginia to engage in sex with men in exchange for cash, according to the affidavit.

With the search warrant for Han Lee’s apartment at 80 Cambridgepark Drive, Unit 638, Cambridge, investigators seized a Louis Vuitton shoebox with a sticker price tag of $1,360 that contained hundreds of money order receipts organized by date, location and rent amount, as well as ledgers detailing the daily activity of her brothels, the affidavit states.

In his affidavit, Mitlitsky said Han Lee’s recordkeeping was “impeccable.”

The special agent also commented on her “lavish and extravagant spending habits,” despite lacking legitimate employment.

According to his affidavit, investigators located luxury bags and shoes from Yves St. Laurent, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo in Han Lee’s apartment.

Neither Han nor Junmyung Lee maintain legitimate ties to the community, nor are they United States citizens, Mitlitsky states.

A third person charged in the case, James Lee, was arrested in California and was ordered by a judge there to remain behind bars while he awaits trial. He has yet to appear in court in Massachusetts.

Han Lee, Junmyung Lee and James Lee are not related, Amabile told reporters outside the courthouse.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Han, Junmyoung Lee held for alleged brothel ring in Boston, Virginia