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Inside Northeast Sex Trafficking Empire: Cash, Luxury Apartment, Fake Spa, Fugitive On The Run
They built a criminal empire out of fake spas, cash, and exploited women. One vanished before trial. The other just got sentenced to decades in prison.
The Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office issued an update on Monday, Aug. 25, confirming the fate of Zigui “Lisa” Zheng—and the disappearance of her co-defendant, Yan Qiu, after both were convicted of running a sex trafficking ring across Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia.
Spa Boss Sentenced After Shocking Trial
Zheng, 48, was sentenced to 10.5 to 21 years in state prison on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, after a jury found her guilty of…
Drains Clogged With Condoms Found At NY Spas In Federal Prostitution Case, DOJ Says
A New York woman is accused of running a multi-county prostitution ring at her massage parlors.
Qingqin “Coco” Xie was charged with racketeering in Albany federal court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, following a two-year investigation involving the FBI, New York State Police, IRS, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The probe culminated in a multi-agency police raid on Xie’s massage spas in Saratoga, Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer, and Ulster counties, as Daily Voice reported.
According to the criminal complaint, obtained by Daily Voice, online sex advertisements directed customers to Xie’s Moo…
Woman Ran Prostitution House In Montclair, Cops Say
A 51-year-old Queens woman was arrested and charged with having a prostitution business in Montclair, authorities announced Tuesday, July 8.
Law enforcement began investigating a business on the 400 block of Bloomfield Avenue after receiving complaints about suspected acts of prostitution, Montclair police said.
On Wednesday, July 2, a law enforcement operation led to the arrest of Meifeing Li, police said. Li is charged with prostitution, police said.
Detectives seized cash, surveillance equipment and other items linked to prostitution related activities, police said.
Sex Slave Sting: Women Held In NJ Homes, Forced Into Brothels, AG Says
Eight people have been charged with racketeering and human trafficking for running a prostitution ring out of several homes in Trenton and Camden, authorities said.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced the charges on Tuesday, July 1, following a months-long investigation that began in May 2024. At least 15 victims were located during raids at five properties, investigators said.
According to the criminal complaints, Vilma Deleon Bracamonte, also known as “Janet,” 55, of Hamilton, and Maria Soledad Xec Chan, 42, of Trenton, were the alleged ringleaders. They face charges …
NJ Massage Parlor Raid: Tesla Seized, $600K Found Stuffed In Teddy Bear, Cops Say
A raid of an illicit massage parlor turned up $600,000 of cash inside a giant stuffed teddy bear in Edison, authorities announced this week.
Five people were arrested following a more than yearlong investigation into Bliss Spa, a massage parlor at 2595 Woodbridge Ave., Edison police said.
The teddy bear was found in the Edison home of Daniela Diienno, the de facto owner and manager of the spa, police said. Law enforcement also seized a 2025 Tesla Model Y, a Rolex watch and a Cartier watch, police said.
Diienno was charged with money laundering, promoting organized street crime, promoting p…
Bergen County Woman Arrested For Prostitution At Morris County Spa: Prosecutor
A woman running a spa in Morris County was arrested and charged after authorities say her spa was offering some extra services.
Soon Bang, a 63-year-old Fairview resident, ran a prostitution business at Oasis Spa on Route 10 in Denville, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Denville Police Chief Frank Perna said.
A search of the spa turned up a large quantity of U.S. currency, authorities said. Bang, and Yushun Li, 67, of Flushing, New York, engaged in sexual activity in exchange for cash, authorities said.
Both women wer…
SWAT Raid Leads To Prostitution, Firearm, Drug Charges For Pair In Ridgewood: Police
A Ridgewood man and woman are facing multiple charges following an investigation into alleged prostitution and drug-related activities in the village, authorities said.
Antonio Gines, 44, and Gianna Murphy, 36, both of Ridgewood, were arrested on Jan. 8, after Ridgewood Police and the Bergen County Regional SWAT team executed a search warrant at their residence, according to Ridgewood Police Chief Lyons.
The investigation began in December 2024, when police received information about potential prostitution occurring within Ridgewood. The search revealed evidence leading to several charges a…
Violent NJ Human Trafficking Rings Dismantled Where Women, Teens Were Forced Into Sex: AG
Seven people have been arrested in the dismantling two human trafficking rings, one in North Jersey and one in South Jersey, authorities said.
The rings were based in Essex County and Cumberland County, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said at a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Khailah Meekins, 21 and Donte Barkley, 28, both Newark residents, trafficked two 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old in Essex County, Platkin said. Meekins and Barkley arranged sexual encounters for the girls through mobile apps that included online ads featuring nude photos of the minors. The girls would be…
Prostitution Bust At Motels, Massage Parlors Nets 18 Arrests, $22K: Passaic Sheriff
Eighteen people were arrested and more than $22,000 was seized in a widespread prostitution bust across Passaic County, authorities said.
Acting on citizen complains, multiple divisions of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office conducted a quality of life operation on July 23 and 24, Acting Sheriff Gary Giardina said.
The detail targeted massage parlors and hotels across Passaic County, and found that the establishments were collecting illegal profits through prostitution related activities, Giardina said. The total number seized was $22,206.
During the detail, detectives working i…
Jurors Convict Elizabeth Man Who Lured Out-Of-State Escorts To NJ, Then Raped And Beat Them
Federal jurors in Newark convicted an Elizabeth man of luring out-of-state escorts to New Jersey for sex with false promises of paying them tens of thousands of dollars, authorities said.
Jose Torres, 45, refused to pay those who accepted the offer and often raped and beat any who pressed him for the money, according to an indictment that led to his conviction on Wednesday, Oct. 11, following a six-day trial.
Jurors in federal court in Newark found Torres guilty of four counts of persuading, inducing, and enticing women to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution, U…
Hooked: 16 Busted, $35K Seized In Passaic Sheriff’s Countywide Prostitution Raids
Sixteen arrests were made and $35,840 in alleged profits seized by Passaic County sheriff's detectives during a two-day series of prostitution raids at massage parlors and hotels countywide, authorities said.
Key “pay-to-play” locations for illegal sex were pinpointed in Clifton, Paterson, Passaic, Wayne, and Woodland Park, Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said.
Nearly all were chosen for the quality-of-life operations following citizens’ complaints, the sheriff said.
Various units from his department supplied the detectives, Berdnik said.
These included his Bureau of Narcotics, Int…