3 women arrested on prostitution charges as police raid 8 massage parlors in Hampden, Hampshire counties
SPRINGFIELD – State and local police and federal officials Wednesday afternoon arrested three women on prostitution charges and six others for immigration violations during simultaneous raids on several area massage salons in Hampden and Hampshire counties, officials said.
Raids were conducted at two salons in the Forest Park section of Springfield, two in Hadley, and at single salons in Chicopee, West Springfield, Longmeadow and East Longmeadow. Taking part were local and state police and officials with state Department of Professional Licensure, and the federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Department of Diplomatic Security.
Assistant District Attorney Michael H. Cahillane of the Northwestern District Attorneys office in Northampton said the raids were all part of the same investigation, which remains ongoing.
In Hadley, two women, each from Flushing, N.Y., were arrested at two Route 9 salons and charged with engaging in sexual activity for a fee, according to Hadley police.
In Longmeadow, the owner of Chinese Massage, 809 Maple St., was charged with knowingly allowing the premise to be used for prostitution, according to police.
The owner, identified as Xiuli Li, 48, of Springfield, was also charged with operating an unlicensed massage facility, police said.
She is due to be arraigned Wednesday in Springfield District Court.
Li is also the owner of Chinese Massage, 217 Belmont Ave., which was also raided by police. Officials charged three employees there with being in this country illegally, officials said.
In Hadley, a deployment totaling 30 town and state police and officials with Immigration and Diplomatic Security moved in on Jane’s
Spa, 206 Russell St., and Hadley Massage, 215 Russell St.
Xiumei Zheng, 43, of Flushing, N.Y., was arrested at 206 Russell St., and Zenshu Li, 47, also of Flushing, was arrested at 215 Russell St., police said. Each was charged with soliciting sexual conduct in exchange for a fee, police said.
The two are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.
Another employee, a 47-year-old women whose name was not released, was cited for being an unlicensed massage therapist, police said.
A brochure optioned at 215 Russell St. indicates that Jane’s
Spa is affiliated with two other locations, Jane’s
Spa, 249 Belmont Ave., Springfield and Fiona’s
Spa, 1888 Memorial Drive. Each of those locations was among the salons being raided Tuesday.
Springfield police Capt. Peter J. Dillon, head of the vice unit, said police had been investigating the two Springfield locations for some time for allegations of prostitution, but did not find enough evidence to arrest anyone on those charges.
In addition to the raid at 271 Belmont Ave., Dillon said police also moved in on Jane’s
Spa, 249 Belmont Ave. The business was cited for being an unlicensed massage parlor,
he said.
Longmeadow police obtained a search warrant for 809 Maple Road and an arrest warrant for Li after a lengthy investigation into the business being a front for prostitution, said police Lt. Gary LaFontain.
As part of the investigation, Longmeadow police learned the business was not properly licensed and gathered evidence that it was engaged in prostitution.
Li is licensed as a massage therapist in Massachusetts, but the state Division of Professional Licensure has no record of her business in Longmeadow or in Springfield.
East Longmeadow police also took three women into custody on immigration charges following a raid at Korean Massage Therapy, 611 North Main St., police said.
In addition to being in the country illegally, the three women were also living in the salon, a violation of town zoning and health codes, police said. Two of the three were also found not to be properly licensed to give massages by the state, police said.
Police identified the owner of the business, Shuz Zi Li, of Flushing, N.Y., and
he did not have a license from the state to operate a massage parlor.
The town health and building inspectors were also called to inspect the property for code violations for modifying a part of the shop into living quarters, police said.
Paula Grenier, spokeswoman for the Boston regional office of Immigration and Custom Enforcement, said the six people arrested for immigration violations will remain in custody pending removal proceedings before a federal immigration judge.
The hearing will either be at the immigration court in Boston or Hartford. She was not sure of which location or when it would take place.
She did not have any information on the identities, ages or countries of origin of the six people.
She said immigration officials regularly take part in local police actions if notified in advance of the possibility of illegal aliens being involved.
West Springfield police detectives, accompanied by federal and state officials, also executed a search warrant at an unnamed massage therapy salon at 2260 Westfield St., said police detective Scott A. Manser said.
The salon, which had no name on the door, was open for business.
He said no arrests were made but evidence was recovered and the investigation is ongoing and charges may later be filed.
Chicopee Detective Bureau Capt. William R. Jebb said five Chicopee detectives and four federal immigration and customs officers raided Fiona’s
Spa at 1888 Memorial Drive, and confiscated paperwork and computers. No one was arrested.
The business was operating without a state license and charges may be filed on that,
he said.
Police began investigating after receiving an anonymous tip from a customer who reported being offered sex in exchange for money during a massage.
Undercover officers went to the salon more than once but were never propositioned,
he said.
Massage parlors raided
Here is the list of massage parlors that were raided by police on Wednesday:
Hadley: Jane’s
Spa, 206 Russell St.
Hadley: Hadley Massage, 215 Russell St.
Chicopee: Fiona’s
Spa, 1888 Memorial Drive.
Longmeadow: Chinese Massage, 809 Maple Road.
East Longmeadow: Korean Massage Therapy, 611 North Main St.
Springfield: Chinese Massage, 271 Belmont Ave.
Springfield: Janes’s
Spa, 249 Belmont Ave.
West Springfield: Unnamed business, 2260 Main St.
