Malaysian jailed for running brothel in US

Vice racket lured women across the States to work as prostitutes

WASHINGTON: A Malaysian man and two Chinese women who lured women from around the US to work in a brothel in Atlanta, Georgia, were sentenced to jail in federal prison.

All three will be deported after their jail terms, ranging from 15 to 22 months.

Court records show that Chow Chan Kong, 59, Huang Xiaohong, 45, and Gong Biyun, 54, were sentenced on Friday.

“Brothels remain a blight in our communities,” US Attorney Byung J. Pak said.

“The prosecution of these defendants, the seizure of assets, and the dedication of law enforcement in targeting this criminal scheme are a warning for others engaged in this conduct.”

Huang, also known as Michelle and Jenny, operated a brothel at an apartment complex in Doraville from December 2005 through May 2017, while Chow and Gong managed the day-to-day operations, prosecutors said.

The three lured women of Asian descent from across the US to work as prostitutes, flying them into Atlanta on a rotating basis roughly every 10 days, prosecutors said.

Huang advertised the brothel by word-of-mouth and online and using checking accounts to launder over US$150,000 (RM602,850) in illegal proceeds from the brothel, prosecutors said.

The three pleaded guilty in July to conspiring to operate an inter- state prostitution scheme involving money laundering.

Huang is to serve two years and nine months and was ordered to forfeit a large home in Johns Creek, cash, high-end watches and designer purses.

Chow, also known as Blake Wong, got one year and nine months, and Gong got one year and three months.

All three will be turned over to immigration for deportation after completing their prison sentences, prosecutors said.

Their lawyers said their clients’ actions were not as serious as prosecutors asserted.

A lawyer for Gong noted that she could accurately be described as a mere cook, with no management responsibility.

Meanwhile, Chow’s attorney said he had no authority and took orders from Huang – doing tasks like driving the sex workers to and from the airport – during the two years he worked for her.

Huang’s lawyer stressed that she did not coerce any of the sex workers, saying the women would contact her when they were coming to Atlanta and she would arrange transportation to and from the airport and provide lodging and a place to perform sex acts.

In exchange, she would get US$40 (RM160) of the US$120 (RM482) the women charged, her lawyer wrote, saying the sex workers were effectively independent contractors. — AP