Woman Confesses to Operating US Brothel Network for Politicians and Executives, According to Reuters

By Nate Raymond

BOSTON (Reuters) – A woman from Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to operating a high-end brothel network in the greater Boston area and surrounding suburbs in Washington, catering to wealthy and influential clients, including politicians, corporate executives, lawyers, and military personnel.

Han Lee appeared in federal court in Boston, admitting to charges of conspiring to encourage primarily Asian women to travel to Massachusetts and Virginia for prostitution, as well as committing money laundering.

She is the first of three individuals charged in November as part of an investigation into a sex ring based in apartment complexes in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, and Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia.

Lee, aged 42, is facing up to 25 years in prison when she is sentenced on December 20. During her court appearance, she emphasized to U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick that although she ran an illegal prostitution operation, she did not coerce any women into sex work.

"I simply want to emphasize that I did not control the women," she stated through a Korean interpreter.

Another defendant, Junmyung Lee, is scheduled to plead guilty on October 30, while the third defendant, James Lee, has pleaded not guilty but is currently negotiating a resolution to his case, as noted in court documents.

According to prosecutors, clients paid between $350 and $600 per hour for sexual encounters with women advertised on two websites masquerading as platforms for professional photography, serving as a cover for Han Lee’s prostitution ring, which reportedly operated since at least 2020.

Authorities estimate that the network had hundreds of clients, including elected officials, pharmaceutical and technology executives, doctors, military officers, professors, lawyers, business leaders, scientists, and accountants.

To date, no clients have been publicly identified. Federal prosecutors announced plans to refer the alleged customers to local authorities for potential state-level charges in both Massachusetts and Virginia.

In December, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy mentioned that they were pursuing state-level charges against 28 alleged clients in Massachusetts.

These cases are currently subject to litigation in the state’s highest court, concerning whether the media can attend "show cause" hearings, which are generally closed to the public. During these hearings, a clerk-magistrate decides if there is probable cause to charge the individuals with misdemeanors.

Prosecutors in Virginia also received referrals but ultimately determined they lacked sufficient evidence to charge any clients under the state’s solicitation laws, as stated by Laura Birnbaum, a spokesperson for Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.