Rental houses were brothels, officials allegeInvestigators say illegal immigrants worked as prostitutes in Newport News and Williamsburg.
By DAVID MACAULAY | 247-7838
5:55 AM EST, February 13, 2009
NEWPORT NEWS - Investigators say Hispanic illegal immigrants working as prostitutes in rental houses used as brothels in Newport News and Williamsburg received playing cards from clients as proof of payment.

They say that the clients first paid three people accused of running the brothels and that the three gave the clients playing cards in return.

The prostitutes would later redeem the cards for $15 each.

The insight into the highly regulated brothels that federal prosecutors say three people ran on the Peninsula forms part of an indictment handed down Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Newport News.



Emma Tlacoxolal-Perez, 36, and Felipe Vargas-Ortega, 46, both of Williamsburg; and Francisco Sanchez-Martinez, 33, of Newport News face conspiracy charges related to operating brothels in James City County, Newport News and Chesapeake, the U.S. attorney's office said in a news release.

Tlacoxolal-Perez faces additional charges of re-entry of a removed alien, coercion and enticement, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

Vargas-Ortega faces additional charges of use of a false Social Security number, aggravated identity theft, coercion and enticement, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering, said Dana J. Boente, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

According to the indictment, the defendants and co-conspirators induced Hispanic women from Maryland, New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia to travel to Virginia to work as prostitutes.

The indictment alleges that upon payment for sexual services, the customers would receive a poker-style playing card from one of the co-conspirators.

The customer would then turn the card over to a prostitute as proof of payment.

At the end of employment, the prostitute would turn all cards over to one of the co-conspirators, who would pay the prostitute $15 for each card.

The release said, "The women, many of whom were from Mexico and various other countries in Central America, were illegally in the United States.

"The indictment alleges that the co-conspirators would rent various houses in Hampton Roads, including Newport News, Chesapeake and Williamsburg, and have them ply their trade."

Prosecutors say the money from the prostitution was used to pay other people involved in the transportation of the prostitutes, as well as for the operation of the brothels.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, James City County Police Department and the Newport News Police Department.

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