2 more arrests made in massage parlor raid

By Ashley Meeks ameeks@lcsun-news.com
Posted: 08/26/2011 11:26:06 PM MDT


LAS CRUCES - Two more women who allegedly sold sexual acts at Las Cruces massage parlors have been arrested, and police are asking the customers they watched during the past few months to come forward - or face possible police questioning in the near future.

Myung Hee Ok, 49, an employee of Bally Hot Stone Spa at 1685 Don Roser Drive, and Hyang Sook Kim, 45, an employee of Green Hot Stone Spa at 2903 Hillrise Drive, were charged Thursday with promoting prostitution and accepting earnings of a prostitute. Both were allegedly paid to perform sexual favors, the Las Cruces Police Department said Friday, and they were being held at the Do-a Ana County Detention Center without bond. Both also have immigration holds on them preventing their release, county spokesman Jess Williams confirmed Friday.

Coordinated raids Wednesday by LCPD, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI resulted in four female employees of the spas being taken into custody. Suk Cha, 62, another employee of the Don Roser spa who worked as a cook and parlor maid, was arrested Wednesday afternoon. She was being held at the Do-a Ana County Detention Center with a $20,000 cash-only bond and does not have an immigration hold barring her release. One woman who was questioned has not been arrested.

Investigators said Friday they found condoms hidden in a clean French's mustard bottle inside a refrigerator at Bally Hot Stone and financial records detailing many of the visits over the past few months.

In addition, police are combing through their own surveillance photos of customers, said LCPD spokesman Dan Trujillo.

"It's really in their best interest if they come forward instead of us coming to them," Trujillo said. "If they come forward voluntarily and talk to our detectives, I wouldn't say (it's) turning themselves in. If they want to come talk to us, it shows their willingness to cooperate, basically."

For months, police took surveillance photos of customers, the vehicles they drove to the spa and their license plates, Trujillo said.

"I'm just saying, it would be better and it would show their willingness to cooperate if they call and give us information," Trujillo said.

Anyone who does so, however, has "no promises" of any leniency, he said.

"If somebody has broken a law, there could be consequences for that," Trujillo said. "However, that being said, it's much better if ... customers of one of those businesses come forward voluntarily and offers whatever information they have on those businesses instead of us having to go to them."

While promoting prostitution and accepting the earnings of a prostitute are felonies, prostitution itself and patronizing a prostitute are both petty misdemeanors in New Mexico.

Lawyer offers services

Las Cruces defense attorney Jeff Lahann has a few words of warning for anyone who might think about calling the police and baring their soul.

"What the police don't say ... is that without your confession they will never in a million years be able to make a case against you," Lahann wrote Friday on his blog, Green Chile and Yellow Pads. "To convict you for being a 'john' the State must prove that you offered a prostitute money in exchange for a sexual act. Given that almost every act of prostitution involves just two witnesses (employee and customer) to what happened on the massage table, and given that arrested employees would make terrible witnesses (for innumerable practical and legal reasons), the only way you could be arrested and charged with 'patronizing prostitutes' is if you do exactly what the police have requested and give them a call."

Lahann has also offered free representation to the first 10 customers charged with patronizing a prostitute - "provided that they haven't gone to the police first."

Spa owners sought

In the meantime, detectives are continuing their investigation and are attempting to locate Bally owners An Sun Lee, Mi Cha Johnson and Kyuang Buyos, and Green Hot Stone owners Young Hyun and Danny Y. Hwang, who could all face possible criminal charges. Authorities are also continuing to investigate whether immigration or trafficking laws were violated. While Suk Cha has a Las Cruces address, Myung Hee Ok has a New York City address and Hyang Sook Kim has a Los Angeles address, Trujillo said. Agents now believe the two spas were not acting collaboratively, but could be connected to other spas in New Mexico, Texas or elsewhere in the country, LCPD said Friday.

Talk to me
•Any spa customers interested in speaking to LCPD detectives are asked to call (575) 528-4222 or email lcpdtips@las-cruces.org.






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