Three people are facing prostitution-related charges and six massage businesses in Manassas have been shut down after a multi-agency investigation that police say began with a single tip to Crime Solvers. Investigators seized hundreds of thousands of dollars along with records connected to suspected prostitution offenses, and said they located several human trafficking victims who received services as a result.
According to Patch, the Manassas City Police Department called the effort Operation False Front, describing it as a multi-jurisdictional crackdown that pulled in Prince William County Police, Manassas Park Police, Fairfax County Police, Virginia State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the City of Manassas Fire Marshal's Office. Per Daily Voice, police executed search and arrest warrants at massage businesses and residential properties on Tuesday across Manassas, Fairfax County and Prince William County.
Six Businesses Shuttered Across the Region
The Manassas Fire Marshal's Office shut down six massage businesses as part of the operation: 7 Star Spa at 8622 Centreville Road, White Moon Spa at 8645 Mathis Ave., Suite 202, Oriental Massage at 8647 Mathis Ave., Suite 101, Oriental Massage Therapy at 8701 Digges Road, Suite B, The Massage Dragon at 9384 Forestwood Lane, and Manassas Massage Therapy at 9548 Surveyor Court, per the same account from Patch.
The investigation's reach went beyond shuttered storefronts. Investigators seized records and documents tied to suspected prostitution-related offenses in addition to the cash, and the report notes several human trafficking victims were identified and received services as a result of the operation.
Three Defendants Face Multiple Felony-Level Charges
Yanzhi Mei, 44, of Prince William County, was arrested and charged with two counts of keeping a bawdy place, two counts of aiding prostitution, one count of prostitution and one count of sexual battery. She is being held on a $2,000 secured bond, the station's report states.
Yanwu Glick, 65, of Fairfax County, was arrested and is facing three counts of keeping a bawdy place and three counts of aiding prostitution. Unlike her co-defendants, Glick is being held without bond. Stephen Smarr, 60, of Manassas City, was also arrested and charged with three counts of keeping a bawdy place and three counts of aiding prostitution, and is being held on a $3,000 secured bond.
Under Virginia law, aiding prostitution with intent to receive money from prostitution earnings is a Class 5 felony, according to Virginia Code § 18.2-357.1. Separately, receiving money for procuring or placing someone for prostitution, or for causing forced labor or services through specified unlawful acts, is classified as a Class 4 felony under Virginia Code § 18.2-356. The evidence reviewed does not establish that Mei, Glick or Smarr have been convicted — only that they have been arrested and charged.
Police Credit a Tip for Cracking the Case
Manassas Police Chief Douglas Keen said authorities take these crimes seriously and are committed to addressing illegal activity in the community, according to Daily Voice's report on the operation. Keen credited community tips with ultimately leading to the investigation that became Operation False Front.
Massage-business investigations tied to alleged trafficking have surfaced elsewhere in the region and beyond in recent months. In Fairfax County, police shut down a massage business in the 5900 block of Ashlar Way after a May 4 search warrant turned up evidence of alleged sex trafficking, according to WJLA, with two women arrested and denied bond; a separate warrant served in Alexandria's 900 block of North Van Dorn Street resulted in no arrests.
A far larger sweep played out across metro Atlanta, where a months-long investigation into massage businesses led to six arrests, nine possible trafficking victims and more than $400,000 seized, as reported by CBS News Atlanta. About 100 officers from federal, state and local agencies searched nine locations simultaneously, identifying the nine victims and offering them assistance while seizing eight vehicles and freezing bank accounts linked to the alleged operation.
Virginia has taken steps in recent years to formalize its response to such cases. In 2019, the state established a State Trafficking Response Coordinator within the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, tasked with coordinating statewide identification of and response to trafficking victims, according to the agency's own materials. A separate state study found that sex trafficking is a serious problem in Virginia, though the evidence reviewed does not include current statewide statistics tied to that finding.
