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Sex trafficking ring busted
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Posted on May 04 2012
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
Two men allegedly conspired to recruit women from China on empty promises of jobs at a hotel on Saipan and then forced them to engage in commercial sex once they got here.
Wei Lin and Yanchun Li were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and to benefit financially from a sex trafficking venture; three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and one count of financially benefiting from a sex trafficking venture.
The indictment was filed in the U.S. District Court on Monday. District court designated judge David A. Wiseman unsealed the case yesterday afternoon.
Wiseman imposed no bail for Lin, who was taken to court yesterday after being arrested. It was not clear yet as of yesterday if Li has already been arrested.
According to the indictment, the two brought the women to the Rosen Music Studio, a karaoke bar in Chalan Laulau, and forced them to provide sexual services to customers for a fee. Most, if not all, of the commercial sexual acts were performed, however, outside the karaoke bar, the indictment states. Lin allegedly provided Rosen Music Studio with women in exchange for a portion of the proceeds.
Sex acts performed by these women generally took place in an apartment procured by Lin in the Hong Building in As Terlaje.
Lin paid Li to, among other things, transport the women back and forth from the Rosen Music Studio to the Hong Apartment, and in some cases, to and from hotels. Li also provided the women with condoms and received money directly from customers on occasion.
Three Chinese women traveled to the CNMI in August and September 2010 after allegedly being promised jobs at a new hotel that Lin was opening on Saipan.
The suspects promised the three women work as waitresses or housekeepers; that their salary would be over $1,000 per month; and that they would get work visas.
The suspects allegedly collected from each of the three women over $4,000; took their passports; and told them they would likely be killed by criminals if they go outside.
