Cops from the 72nd Precinct and federal agents made two arrests at the Sunny 39 Hotel, 516 39th Street, during the bust of an alleged prostitution ring on Thursday, October 15.
According to police, the FBI received intel of human trafficking at the Sunset Park hotel. After obtaining a search warrant, the federal agents teamed up with the 72nd Precinct and arrested 43-year-old Asian Amy Vincent, the hotel’s desk clerk. She was charged with falsifying business records, promoting and permitting prostitution. Also arrested was 50-year-old Asian female Cui Li, for falsifying business records.
According to the investigation, on at least three different occasions, Vincent directed patrons to rooms booked by undercover police officers who were posing as a pimp and a prostitute.
Homeland Security, State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the Brooklyn district attorney office and the New York State Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking were involved in the arrests.
“We believe that this hotel was being used by pimps and prostitutes and that hotel workers allegedly facilitated this criminal activity,” said District Attorney Ken Thompson. “We will not tolerate prostitution-based businesses to operate in Brooklyn and create a nuisance in the community. We closed down this hotel and will hold everyone involved in illegal operations there responsible.”
“These arrests are one piece of a focused, comprehensive effort by my office and our law enforcement partners to seek out human trafficking in New York – a deplorable form of modern-day slavery,” added Schneiderman. “We will use every law enforcement tool at our disposal to identify and shut down hotels and other businesses that illegally profit from the trafficking of men, women, and children.”
In addition, the New Farrington Hotel in Flushing, Queens was also busted on the same day and faces similar charges.
Assistant Assembly Speaker Felix W. Ortiz thanked the NYPD and 72nd Precinct Captain Tommy Ng.
“Prostitution rings and drugs have no place in Sunset Park or anywhere else in New York,” he said. “I want to commend the NYPD and other law enforcement agencies for their prompt response closing down this illegal operation. I’ve had too many complaints to my office about this situation.”
Long time Sunset Park resident and Executive Director of Sunset Park Restoration Tony Giordano is pleased that police thwarted a problem that he believes has affected the community for a long while. “The Sunset Park community is excited about the NYPD response to their six months of filing complaints about this hotel,” he said.
However, more action needs to be taken, according the Giordano. “We understand that this not a problem that will be resolved with this one action. The involvement of the FBI and Homeland Security shows us that this was not a simple local prostitution issue,” he said. “There is a lot of money to be made by bringing innocent young women and men to this country and then forcing them into the sex trade. They have found loopholes and by moving from state to state have, until now, avoided detection by the authorities.”
Since the arrest, the doors to the hotel have been padlocked.
Giordano also said that Sunset residents have to do their part to prevent similar situations from happening again. “We understand that we have to continue to be the eyes and ears of the police and continually report untoward activities,” he said. “And meanwhile we understand that this is the kind of issue that cannot be fixed overnight. NYPD Vice has to build a case and that takes time. So it is important for the community to understand that, and stay vigilant and involved for the long haul.”
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