Two women are facing serious charges in Maynard, Massachusetts, following a thorough multi-agency investigation into alleged prostitution activities at a local spa. According to WCVB, police executed a search warrant at Asian Spa on Main Street, where they seized evidence indicative of organized prostitution, including cell phones, cash, checks, account information, and ledgers. Meiying Cheng, 57, from Flushing, New York, and Jianping Wu, 68, of Malden, were both arrested as the search was underway.
The investigation, which spanned several weeks, was bolstered by input from concerned community members and the combined efforts of local and federal officials. Some items consisted of evidence that were consistent with running a prostitution operation were found by officers during the raid. In a statement obtained by WCVB, Maynard Police Chief Christopher Troiano reflected the community sentiment, saying, "Our department heard from community members who had concerns about the activity that was occurring at this business, and we heard those concerns and investigated."
Collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's human trafficking unit and the Massachusetts State Police was instrumental in facilitating the investigation. Both women are charged with deriving support from prostitution, keeping a house of prostitution, and related offenses. Cheng and Wu's arraignment was scheduled at the Concord District Court, as reported by NBC10 Boston.
Local businesses in the vicinity of Asian Spa expressed their reactions to the bust, along with a recognition of rapid action from the authorities. "A few weeks ago, somebody mentioned there being a new business in town and it's right next-door to my business, just seemed a little strange so people were commenting about it but I didn't think much of it," Sandra Gudac, the owner of Art Signals Studio, told NBC10 Boston. She added that they were "kind of pleasantly surprised that they found out about it and acted so quickly." As of this report, it isn't immediately clear if Cheng and Wu have obtained legal representation to speak on the charges they're facing.
