Three people are under arrest accused in a prostitution ring at three massage parlors in Monroe County.
On Monday, authorities searched Sun Wellness Services in Henrietta, Fantastic Body Works in Perinton and Asian Aroma Therapeutic Body Works in Penfield. They say there was evidence of prostitution activity at all three massage parlors. Two private homes, one in Brighton and one in Henrietta, were also searched.
Police say the businesses are owned and operated by Xianhua Liu, who worked closely with Guang Ping Sun to run the illegal prostitution enterprise. The businesses were not marked with signs that would indicate their names or purpose. Instead investigators believe clients would schedule meetings over the phone after learning of the service on websites like Craigslist.
13WHAM News even found some of those recent listings online and they matched the addresses police gave for each of the businesses named above.
Xianhua Liu, of Brighton, is charged with promoting prostitution. Guang Ping Sun, of Henrietta is charged with promoting prostitution, bribery and prostitution. Guang Hua Sun is charged with prostitution.
The investigation was a coordination of the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (GRANET), assisted by; United States Border Patrol, Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, New York State Police and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Officials say all three individuals facing charges are Chinese-Americans and in this country legally.
According to police Guang Ping Sun also tried to offer investigator money in exchange for dropping the criminal charges against all three.
"Ms. Guang Ping Sun offered $100,000 to the investigator while he was interviewing her to let everybody go, basically to drop all the charges,” GRANET’s Commanding Officer Lt. Joseph Morabito of the Rochester Police Department said. “We don't know where that comes from, they're foreigners, they don't really speak the language well maybe in their country that's the way you get out of stuff; you pay off the officials? But it was a serious offer she made and we charged her appropriately."
Members of the GRANET team seized over $90,000 in cash, jewelry and physical evidence as a result of the search warrants. Investigators tell 13WHAM News that they do not suspect others were involved nor do they believe there will be any future arrests.
13WHAM News made contact with a woman identifying herself as Xianhua Liu’s wife. She was at the couple’s Brighton home and while she said she understood her husband had been arrested and charged she declined further comment because she did not know much English. She indicated that her husband is still looking for a lawyer.
