The following piece was produced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston:
A Watertown man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in a long-running interstate prostitution ring.
Jineok Kim, 38, of Watertown, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce individuals to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Co-defendant Susan Bashir, a/k/a “Susan Redmon,” 41 of Stone Mountain, Ga., pleaded guilty on July 25, 2018 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 8, 2018. Co-defendant Kyung Song, 52, of Lexington, Mass. is scheduled to plead guilty on Aug. 13, 2018. Co-defendants Yoon I. Kim, 36, of Haymarket, Va. and Taehee Kim, a/k/a “Hyunsook Kim,” 46, of Haymarket, Va., have pleaded not guilty.
According to court documents, Kim participated in the prostitution network, which had multiple brothels in high-end apartments in Cambridge, Mass.; Atlanta; and eastern Virginia, from spring 2016 to December 2017. The prostitution network advertised appointments with Asian women primarily on three websites: www.bostonasiandolls.com, www.exoticasiansatlanta.com, and www.redhotflowers69.com. The women advertised on the websites were moved from city to city within the network, working as prostitutes for the organization.
Jineok Kim transported women working as prostitutes and supplies, including bulk orders of condoms, to and from brothel locations in Cambridge. Jineok Kim retrieved cash proceeds from each of the Cambridge brothel locations and laundered the proceeds according to Taehee Kim’s instructions, which included depositing the money into accounts belonging to Taehee Kim and a consulting business set up by Yoon Kim, or purchasing postal money orders.
The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce women to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain/loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to engage in money laundering provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Andrew E. Lelling; Peter C. Fitzhugh Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Delany De Leon-Colon, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard Jr. made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. D’Addio and Amy Harman Burkart of Lelling’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
We need a safe place for people involved in prostitution that want out. In some, if not many, cases women are threatened if they even try to break away from prostitution from their “pimps.” Currently a prostitute is not allowed in a homeless shelter or a safe place for women and children suffering from abuse. The mayor of Boston, Marty Welsh, is aware of the need. Funding is an issue. Why not take the money from those being persecuted for running such rings?