Latest arrest of illicit massage parlor proprietor made under new law combating human trafficking and child exploitation
This week, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office announced that their detectives arrested a 12th person on Thursday in connection with a major operation led by CCSO cracking down on illicit massage businesses in Collier County.
Xu Huiping, 55, was hurrying out the back door with suitcases in tow when detectives arrived at of Asian Angels Spa, 1042 Pine Ridge Road in Naples, Florida, around 1 p.m. to conduct an inspection. Huiping, the designated establishment operator, was arrested after she was unable to provide detectives with documents required by state law.
Huiping wasn’t present Tuesday when Asian Angels failed an inspection and the assistant operator was arrested during a multi-agency operation that focused on identifying illicit conduct at area massage businesses and the people who operate these criminal enterprises. Eleven other people were arrested and 10 businesses failed inspections.
The current CCSO operation represents the beginning of enforcement of a new Florida law which aims to crack down on illicit massage businesses, hold them accountable for their criminal activities, and combat human trafficking. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office led by Sheriff Kevin Rambosk was instrumental in writing the law and getting it passed.
House Bill 197, which took effect July 1, represents CCSO’s commitment to identifying victims of human trafficking, as well as ridding our community of these types of criminal enterprises.
On Thursday, two days after the operation, it was business as usual at Asian Angels. Two male customers showed up while detectives were conducting the inspection and the massage therapist on duty told detectives she had just started working at the business, having flown in from California on Wednesday.
Huiping was unable to provide detectives with the employee log, nor was she able to provide her identification or a copy of the new therapist’s ID as required under the new law. She was taken into custody.
Regarding those earlier arrests, on Tuesday, July 30, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Southwest Florida INTERCEPT Task Force and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, conducted an enforcement operation at multiple suspected illicit massage businesses in Collier County.
Operation INTERCEPT Illicit Massage Businesses focused on identifying illicit conduct at area massage businesses and the people who operate these criminal enterprises. As a result, a total of 11 additional arrests were enforced.
Inspectors with the Department of Health participated in the operation, resulting in all 10 locations failing inspections. DOH opened 20 regulatory cases, issued two cease-and-desist orders, and two cease desist orders are pending. These case will go through an administrative process as part of DOH authority to regulate these businesses, which could result in suspension or revocation of the business licenses, the designated establishment manager’s licenses or the individual therapist’s licenses.
“We are not going to tolerate illicit massage businesses in our community,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. “They are engaged in a variety of crimes, including prostitution, money laundering, racketeering, violations of the massage law, and some of them are engaged in human trafficking.
Sheriff Rambosk stressed that the individuals arrested on July 30 are not victims — they are criminals. If any victims are encountered during the operation they will be connected with services.
The goal of these partnerships is to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. In addition to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the agencies that participated in this large-scale operation include the Twentieth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, Cape Coral Police Department, Naples Police Department, Marco Island Police Department, Fort Myers Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Department of Health, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations, Lee County Port Authority, and the Shelter for Abused Women and Children.
The law empowers the state Department of Health and law enforcement to more effectively target these illicit businesses. It expressly prohibits sexual activity in a massage establishment and authorizes the DOH and law enforcement to investigate massage establishments to assist in identifying persons who may be engaging in human trafficking.
The new law which took effect on July 1 also regulates front window coverings of massage businesses, provides conditions under which the DOH shall issue an emergency suspension of a license, and requires a customer log be kept for inspection for one year.
The 10 businesses recently busted under Operation INTERCEPT are:
- Elle and Ella Spa/Healthy Spa, 12980 U.S. 41 N., Naples;
- Nini Asian Spa, 13500 U.S. 41 N., Naples;
- Sincere 4U Spa, 13800 U.S. 41 N., Naples;
- Serenity Spa, 2700 Immokalee Road, Naples;
- K and W Therapy, 103rd Ave. N.; Naples;
- 7 Naples Healthy Spa, 2033 Pine Ridge Road, Naples;
- Phoenix Spa, 1042 Pine Ridge Road, Naples;
- Davis Asian Massage, 2400 Davis Blvd., Naples;
- Ylan Massage Spa, 4207 U.S. 41 E., Naples; and
- 168 Golden Massage, 7550 Mission Hills Drive, Naples.
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Below is a list of those individuals arrested in the operation, and their charges:
- Pingchuan Rotondi, 53, two counts of failure to provide required documents
- Daisy Ning Yang, 55, two counts of failure to provide required documents
- Jing Wang, 55, two counts of failure to provide required documents
- Xuan Li, 53, two counts of failure to provide required documents
- Anna Dai, 52, two counts of failure to provide required documents
- You Lijing, 48, two counts of failure to provide required documents
- Fang Fang He, 49, three counts of failure to provide required documents
- Joong Jae Kim, 55, two counts of failure to provide required documents
- Liyan Wang, 48, two counts of failure to provide required documents
- Sanyun Zeng, 48, two counts of failure to provide required documents, practicing massage without a license
- Qun Jiang, 52, two counts of failure to provide required documents
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(Source and cover photo mugshot of Xu Huiping: Collier County Sheriff’s Office)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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