A Putnam Valley couple has been convicted and sentenced for using their massage parlors as a front for an illicit prostitution operation spanning multiple New York counties. According to a statement from the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Edward Y. Kim, Hong Ru Lin, known as "Bruce," and Kena Zhao, also known as "Angela," were handed prison sentences of 12 months and one day each — Zhao on January 10, and Lin yesterday, January 17,. The couple was also ordered to forfeit more than $1.3 million, the estimated proceeds from their criminal activities.
Hong Ru Lin and Kena Zhao operated an extensive prostitution business, using massage parlors as cover for their illegal activities. Today’s sentences hold them accountable for their actions," Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim detailed. He emphasized the office's ongoing commitment to "investigate those who sponsor illegal prostitution, even if their criminal activities take place behind the closed doors of supposedly legitimate businesses." Documents indicate that from at least September 2020 to September 2023, the couple managed a roster of women and relentlessly used cellphones and private chatrooms to run and to closely monitor their operation, as noted by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The court filings reveal the scope of the operation, spanning Putnam, Westchester, New York, and Queens County. Lin, 51, and Zhao, 46, coordinated employee assignments to their customers and tracked the income of their business, even setting performance goals for the women they employed. Zhao herself was found to have engaged in the operation, personally participating in a massage during which a sexual act was offered to a customer, as per the prosecution's documentation.
On top of the prison terms, Lin and Zhao face two years of supervised release and have been compelled to surrender numerous assets tied to the massage parlors. In a display of interagency cooperation, Edward Y. Kim lauded the efforts of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. He also expressed gratitude towards local police departments for their contribution in bringing this case to a close. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Jamie Bagliebter, and Margaret N. Vasu are leading the charge on the prosecution for the office's Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division and the White Plains Division.
