This is some pretty alarming news!
Earlier in May 2017, United States authorities discovered an illegal brothel running since December 2005 out of an apartment based in Doraville, Georgia.
It was soon discovered that the brothel was run by two Chinese women and one Malaysian man. According to the Malay Mail Online, the Malaysian, identified as 59-year-old Chan Kong Chow, managed the brothel with 54-year-old Biyun Gong. Both of them worked under 45-year-old Chinese national, Xiaohong Huang.
The three suspects reportedly lured Asian women from all over the United Sates to work for them as prostitutes and took care of their travel arrangements, making them fly to Georgia on a rotating basis every 10 days.
All three pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an interstate prostitution scheme involving money laundering.
The Malaysian national, who worked for two years in the brothel, was reportedly involved in driving the prostitutes to and from the airport, claiming he was just following orders.
Chan and Gong reportedly helped with the brothel, which was mainly run by Huang, who used chequing accounts to launder the money they made, which was reportedly more than US$150,000 (RM603,000).
Huang’s lawyer emphasised that none of the sex workers were forced into prostitution, as they would contact her when they were coming to the state for work, according to Fox News. She would then make transport and hotel arrangements for them to work, and would get $40 (approx. RM160) of the $120 (approx. RM482) they made from their clients.
In the end, Chan was sentenced on Friday (29th December 2017) to one year and nine months in a federal prison in the United States and will be deported back to Malaysia after finishing his sentence.
Meanwhile, Huang received two years and nine months and was ordered to forfeit a large home, cash, high-end watches and designer purses. Chow on the other hand, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison.
We’re glad this illegal operation was finally resolved and that the suspects received appropriate punishment. Who knows how many more of these unscrupulous businesses are out there!
Also read: Malaysian Forces Childhood Friend to Become Prostitute in Australia to Pay For Flight Tickets