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Huiping Hester, 52, of Bethesda, was taken into custody without incident following a lengthy investigation into multiple community complaints about at least two businesses, the Frederick County Human Trafficking Response Team (HRT) announced on Wednesday, Nov. 2.
Specifically, Hester was charged at the Frederick County Detention Center with two counts of sex trafficking and 14 additional counts associated with trafficking and prostitution.
The investigation stemmed from complaints at these Frederick County locations:
- Calla Spa on Worthington Boulevard in Urbana;
- YiYi Spa on Thomas Johnson Drive in Frederick.
“This long-term investigation, which dismantled this organized trafficking network, demonstrates our focus on the big-picture problem of human trafficking locally,” Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins announced. “This type of organized criminal activity is often closely associated with drug trafficking and other illicit activities.
The HRT is comprised of members with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Narcotics Investigations Section, Frederick Police Department Tactical and Criminal Investigations Section, and Homeland Security.
It was first launched in February 2018.
“The investigative goal is three-pronged, to include shutting down the operation, prosecuting those responsible, and getting the victims out of these enslaved conditions,” Jenkins continued. “This recent dismantling is simply a small sampling of a much larger problem regionally and nationally. The successful execution of these warrants is just another part of our efforts to keep Frederick County a safe place for everyone.”
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