NAPERVILLE, IL — Owners of eight massage parlors in three suburban counties face criminal charges after prosecutors said that the business owners engaged in money laundering and promoted prostitution at the parlors, officials said Thursday.
Yang Yuan, 34 and Guilian Sun, 64 — both of Aurora — and Jianwei Zou, 62, of Naperville, were arraigned on Thursday, according to Illinois Attorney General. All three were charged with six counts of money laundering and three counts of promoting prostitution, both of which are felonies.
The charges stem from a three-year investigation by several local, state, and federal agencies, including the Naperville Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, and Illinois State Police, Raoul said. The three defendants pleaded not guilty on Thursday and are scheduled to return to court on Aug. 17, prosecutors said.
“Businesses that engage in illicit activities risk the safety of their staff and customers, as well as the general public in the communities they are part of,” Raoul said in a news release. “I would like to thank the law enforcement agencies that collaborated for this complex investigation, and I am committed to continuing to work with law enforcement at all levels to enhance public safety across Illinois.”
The investigation was triggered by several suspicious ads for the eight massage parlors, which are located in Cook, Will, and DuPage counties, prosecutors said Thursday. The Naperville Police Department then conducted three undercover operations and police officers were solicited for sexual acts, prosecutors said.
“This was a long and thorough investigation that was conducted by the Naperville Police Department involving the cooperation of many agencies in the process,” Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said in the release. “I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that was demonstrated by our Investigations Division in this case that led to these alleged offenders being charged.”
Officers from Buffalo Grove, Lake Zurich, Elmhurst, Roselle, and Wheeling also participated in the investigation.
“While many believe these are victimless crimes, that is not accurate,” Homeland Securities Investigation Chicago acting Special Agent in Charge Gabriel Gonzalez said. “Not only do the individuals being exploited suffer, but the community as a whole are endangered by the many associated crimes this type of illegal activity brings to their neighborhoods.”
