NV: 4 Men Accused Of Running Vegas Brothels

4 Men Accused Of Running Vegas Brothels
Police: Men Would Bring Illegal Immigrants Into City As Prostitutes

POSTED: 11:46 am PST December 10, 2007
UPDATED: 9:30 am PST December 11, 2007

LAS VEGAS -- Four people have been arrested and accused of illegally running a chain of brothels in Las Vegas and transporting women across state lines to work as prostitutes.

Jia Hui Keyes, 42, Christopher Smith, 34, Xiao Hong Qi, 35, and Mouhua Liu, 38, all of Las Vegas, were charged in two separate cases of federal racketeering for transporting illegal immigrants across state lines to work in their brothels, police said.

According to the court records, between about 2004 and 2006 Keyes, Smith, Qi and Liu allegedly operated brothels in the Las Vegas area at various locations, police said. They allegedly induced illegal aliens and other women to travel to Nevada to work at the brothels as prostitutes.

Police said the women were primarily of Asian descent from Southern California and other areas of the U.S. According to investigators, the women worked 10 to 15 days at one brothel before being circulated to a new brothel. The men used the brothel earnings to pay themselves and to cover expenses of the brothels.

The men were arrested Friday. They will be in federal court for the racketeering charges Monday.

The men could also face charges from the state allegedly for running brothels in Clark County. While it is legal in the rest of Nevada, prostitution is illegal within county boundaries, including Las Vegas.

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/14814963/detail.html

What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas

I don't see any difference here than what we have seen from corporate america .. They were just trying to make a living !!! :lol:

This is going on all over NYC!

In NC, too.

Las Vegas brothel owners sentenced to prison
By Mary Manning

Thu, Oct 16, 2008 (12:08 p.m.)

Two people who pleaded guilty to operating illegal brothels in Las Vegas and using illegal immigrants as prostitutes have been sentenced to federal prison terms.

Jia Hui Keyes, 43, owner and primary operator of the brothels, was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay back taxes amounting to $92,368, U.S. Attorney Greg Brower said.

Keyes pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to operate a brothel involving the movement of women from other states and tax evasion.

Keyes' partner, Christopher Smith, 35, was sentenced on Wednesday to 37 months in prison, Smith also pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to operate a brothel and moving women from other states as well as possessing and distributing Ecstacy.

Keys and Smith were also ordered to forfeit $826,765. Three real properties used in brothel operations and purchased with brothel proceeds and about $60,000 in cash were seized as part of the forfeiture.

"As this case demonstrates, it is a federal crime to induce individuals to travel between Nevada and other states for prostitution," Brower said. Brothels are legal in 15 rural counties in Nevada. The two most populous counties, Clark and Washoe, ban brothels.

Between about 2004 and 2006, Keys and Smith operated brothels at various locations around Las Vegas. The men induced illegal aliens and other women to travel to Nevada and work as prostitutes. The prostitutes came mainly from Southern California and other states. Typically, the women worked 10 to 15 days at one brothel before being taken to a new brothel.

Three of the brothels were located at 3755 Arville St., 4008 Calle Mirador and 3474 Eldon St., all in Las Vegas.

According to the U.S. attorney's office, in 2004 Keyes earned about $333,182 in income from brothel operations. Keyes attempted to conceal the income from the IRS by conducting transactions in cash. Keyes also failed to file an individual income tax return for 2004.

Between about September 2006 and April 2007, Smith possessed and sold the drug Ecstacy in relation to brothel operations, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office

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