3 convicted of running brothel for 12 years

Trio transported women from around the U.S. to 2 Doraville apartments.

Three Chinese nationals have been convicted of federal charges related to a brothel that was run out of a Gwinnett County apartment complex for nearly 12 years, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Xiaohong “Michelle” Huang, 45; Chan Kong Chow, 59; and Biyun Gong, 54, all pleaded guilty in July 2017 to conspiring to operate an interstate prostitution scheme involving money laundering, the Justice Department said in a release.

Huang ran the brothel, assisted by Chow and Gong, the Justice Department said. The trio would transport women of Asian descent from around the country, includ-

ing California and New York, to two apartments in Doraville, where they would work as prostitutes in rotating 10-day shifts, according to the Justice Department.

Huang also laundered more than $150,000 in profits from the brothel using checking accounts at Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Metro City Bank, the Justice Department said. The operation was ongoing from December 2005 until May 2017, according to the release.

Huang was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison. She was also ordered to forfeit a “large residence” in Johns Creek, cash, jewelry and “other expensive items” to the federal government. Chow was sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison. Gong was sentenced to one year and three months in federal prison.

“The FBI and its law enforcement partners will not tolerate the ongoing exploitation of disadvantaged people for the profit of a few,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, in a release. “While we are working vigorously to identify victims of exploitation, we are also sending a message to anyone who engages in these illegal activities that they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”