Little River women among six charged in massage parlor sex sting in North Carolina
Six women from Little River and Flushing, New York were indicted Tuesday on charges including conspiracy, bribery and operating illegal massage parlors offering prostitution, according to a news release from United States Attorney’s Office.
They were arrested June 16-17 in connection to the sting, the news release, from the Eastern District of North Carolina, states.
According to court documents, Ok Hwa Lee, Shanyu Song, JinHua Piao, XueJin Bai and Ming Ji Cao conspired to pay bribes to a police officer — posing as a corrupt law enforcement officer — to receive protection for the operation of illegal massage parlors in Cary, North Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina, where sex acts were offered.
Xiang Yue Jin, who was charged separately, is accused of bribing an officer in hopes they would protect her massage parlor, where sex acts were being offered, the release states. She is charged with bribery and operating an illegal prostitution enterprise in interstate commerce.
The news release does not state how many nor which of the women charged were from Little River.
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the case along with Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and other state and local investigators.
