Three individuals have been charged with operating a sophisticated sex trafficking ring in Massachusetts and eastern Virginia, which targeted influential clients. The operation utilized false websites and luxury apartments as brothels, with clients able to rate the women. The accused made substantial profits from the illicit scheme. arkansasonline reported
U.S. Authorities Arrest Three in Bust of Sophisticated Sex Ring
On Wednesday, federal prosecutors announced that three individuals have been charged with operating a sophisticated commercial sex ring in Massachusetts and eastern Virginia. The ring reportedly catered to a clientele consisting of well-connected individuals, including elected officials and military officers.
The operation involved featuring women on websites that falsely claimed to advertise nude Asian models for professional photography. In addition, high-end apartments with monthly rents reaching as high as $3,660 were used as brothels. Prosecutors also allege that the ring operated a website that allowed clients to rate the women.
Acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Josh Levy stated, “This commercial sex ring was built on secrecy and exclusivity, catering to a wealthy and well-connected clientele, and business was booming, until today.”
The Massachusetts brothels were located in Watertown and Cambridge, while others were situated outside of Washington, D.C., in Tysons and Fairfax, Virginia.
Arrested on Wednesday were Han “Hana” Lee, 41, of Cambridge, Massachusetts; James Lee, 68, of Torrance, California; and Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham, Massachusetts. The trio has been charged with conspiracy to coerce and entice others to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity. Prosecutors allege that the scheme generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits.
Owners of Colorado Funeral Home Arrested in Connection with Discovery of Decaying Corpses
Jon and Carie Hallford, owners of a Colorado funeral home, were apprehended in Oklahoma on Wednesday following the discovery of 190 sets of decomposing remains at one of their facilities. Shockingly, some of the bodies had been left there for up to four years.
According to a federal affidavit, investigators encountered appalling conditions upon entering the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado, in early October. The document states that numerous bodies were stacked, with some corpses bearing death dates from 2019.
The arrest of the Hallfords came after law enforcement authorities learned that the cremated remains given to each family did not belong to their loved ones. The couple had allegedly fled Colorado in an attempt to evade prosecution.
The Hallfords are currently being held on a $2 million bond based on a Colorado arrest warrant, which includes roughly 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, five counts of theft, four counts of money laundering, and over 50 counts of forgery. They are scheduled to appear in court on November 9 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, for an initial hearing regarding a federal fleeing charge.
Texan Involved in Attorney General Scandal Faces Additional Charges
A Texas businessman, Nate Paul, who played a central role in the scandal that led to the impeachment of state Attorney General Ken Paxton, has been indicted on further federal charges. In addition to the previous accusations of making false statements to mortgage lenders to obtain $172 million in loans, Paul now faces charges of defrauding business partners.
Paul, aged 36, pleaded not guilty in June to eight counts of making false statements while seeking loans from mortgage lenders in the United States and Ireland. His legal representatives have not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the newly issued superseding indictment, which includes four additional counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The charges against Paul arose from an extensive FBI investigation that embroiled Paxton’s office, ultimately leading to a separate federal inquiry into the attorney general himself. The scandal culminated in Paxton’s impeachment by the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives in May.
Two Deputies and Suspect Injured in North Carolina Shootout
Sheriff Burnis Wilkins of Robeson County, North Carolina, revealed at a news conference on Tuesday that two sheriff’s deputies and a man subject to a warrant were wounded during a series of exchanges of gunfire. The incident occurred in a community near Maxton, located approximately 120 miles southeast of Raleigh.
Although the deputies’ injuries were serious, they are expected to recover. The suspect is currently in critical but stable condition. Identified as 20-year-old Shawn Tobin Locklear Jr., the suspect managed to escape the area by seizing one of the wounded deputies’ cruisers and running over one of the officers, causing a broken leg. The sheriff confirmed that Locklear was eventually apprehended by other deputies.
In December, Locklear had been accused of murder but was released on bond in May. The sheriff mentioned that deputies had been actively seeking Locklear due to violations of his pretrial release conditions, including the removal of his ankle monitoring bracelet.
Sheriff Wilkins expressed his gratitude towards two local residents who provided crucial assistance by offering a belt and a towel to help control the bleeding of the injured officers.
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