A 54-year-old woman and her 28-year-old son are facing a lengthy list of felony charges after Oakland County investigators say they ran a human-trafficking enterprise out of two massage businesses in Novi. Minjie Wu and Ruize Wu were arraigned this past Friday, accused of operating a scheme that allegedly involved commercial sexual activity, the housing of women from China, and substantial financial transactions.
According to MLive, the charges were filed per Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who said the mother and son were charged with operating a human-trafficking enterprise through the two Novi businesses. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office reported that undercover detectives were offered sexual services in exchange for money at the businesses, a key piece of evidence underpinning the case.
Both Minjie Wu and Ruize Wu face charges of conducting a criminal enterprise, a human-trafficking enterprise resulting in commercial sexual activity, two counts of maintaining a house of prostitution, third-degree money laundering, and filing a false tax return. Minjie Wu alone faces an additional charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, per the same report.
A Monthslong Investigation Culminates in Raids
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office said the investigation began in March 2025, meaning detectives worked the case for well over a year before charges were filed. The probe culminated on Oct. 7, 2026, when authorities executed four search warrants, seizing more than $47,000 in cash, two cars and $75,000 in designer merchandise, the report notes.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the investigation began with a tip from a concerned individual, and that his team followed the evidence from there to uncover the alleged enterprise. He credited the work involved, saying investigations of this magnitude require patience, persistence and attention to detail, often involving months of investigative work, and that the Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force and investigators did outstanding work on the complex case.
Both suspects were arraigned in 52-1 District Court on Friday, Nov. 6.
Prosecutor Points to Pattern Across Oakland County
McDonald said illicit massage businesses entrap vulnerable women into sex trafficking and diminish the quality of life in communities across the county. She added that the case is just the beginning, saying her office is working with law enforcement and local leaders to drive these illegal enterprises out of Oakland County.
Separately, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald told The Detroit News that recent victories in the county's fight against human trafficking are the result of collaboration between a host of agencies. The case against the Wus is not an isolated one: the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office has said there have been 27 cases against human traffickers in the county since November 2024, according to ClickOnDetroit.
That same report detailed an earlier 2025 case in which operators of two Metro Detroit massage parlors faced trafficking charges after workers said they were forced to provide sexual services and to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week. In a related Oakland County case described by ClickOnDetroit, massage-parlor operators Runping “Lisa” Huang and Chunxiu “Eva” Xu faced human-trafficking charges after workers reportedly did not speak English, had no access to transportation, and allegedly were forced to turn over their earnings.
Another case documented by oaklandcounty115.com saw Farmington Hills police arrest Zixuan Wan, a 44-year-old Livonia woman, after search warrants were executed at massage businesses in Farmington Hills, Westland and Commerce Township and at her Livonia residence. Authorities in that case said roughly $140,000 in cash and several firearms had been seized. No further details on the Wus' pleas, legal representation, or upcoming court dates have been made available.
