May 17, 2011

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110517/NEWS/110519693/-1/news

Federal authorities confirmed today that five massage parlors have been raided, including two in the Poconos, and 17 people have been detained, in connection with a prostitution and money laundering scheme.

The Pocono massage parlors are Spa611 in Tannersville and AccuMassage in Bartonsville. Others are located in Plains, Moosic and Overlea, Md.

Indictments include Lih Kang Shen, 46, also known as “Michael” Shen, of Stroudsburg; Young Ja "Micky"Young, 45, of Stroudsburg; Yu Cheng "Ricky" Lee, 35, of Tannersville; John Vincent Ferraro, 45, of Bartonsville, and Cin "Jdy" Hsia Chen, 56, of Briarwood, N.Y. Shen is the leader, authorities said.

Shen has been detained in New York and will be extradited to Pennsylvania.

They are charged with coercion and inducement for prostitution and money laundering. Police said they conspired to induce women to travel over interstate and foreign commerce for prostitution and laundered the proceeds.

A property at 106 Fox Chase Road in Stroudsburg has also been seized, as well as cash. The total volume seized is $700,000, more than $320,000 in cash, a 2011 BMW 550i, a Rolex watch and two 3-D televisions. Smith said the amount that authorities are seeking through forfeiture could go higher.

The indictment said that customers paid a "door charge" of $50 per half-hour or $60 per hour, all of which went to the ringleaders. The prostitutes derived their income from tips. They worked one or two weeks at one location before being moved to another location as the ring tried to avoid detection by law enforcement, the indictment said.

Various motels in Pennsylvania and New Jersey were also used, according to court documents.

Twelve aliens who engaged in prostitution have also been detained.