Six more arrested in connection with massage parlor prostitution

BY DENISE ROMANO AND HEATHER J. CHIN

Six more people have been arrested and charged in connection with an ongoing Brooklyn DA’s office investigation into prostitution and sex trafficking rings that are being run out of local spas and massage parlors. The latest busts took place at residential homes and local businesses in Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint, Bay Ridge, and Dyker Heights.

In addition to the arrests and indictments, five “spa” locations were also shut down, at 307 Henry Street, 223 Calyer Street, 1275-1277 70th Street, 8017 New Utrecht Avenue, and 31 Bay Ridge Avenue.

The first indictment charges four individuals with sex trafficking and related charges. Yun Feng Zhang, Yan Liu, Boxuan Zhang and Zhan Wei Liu allegedly ran the Zhang/Liu prostitution ring, with locations at 307 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights and 223 Calyer Street in Greenpoint.

On September 7, the search warrant was executed at 223 Calyer Street, where Yan was arrested and charged with unauthorized practice of a profession and prostitution.

If convicted with the top charge of sex trafficking, all four suspects could face 25 years in prison.

The second indictment charges two people–Nataliya Drevetska and Sergey Talko–with promoting prostitution in the third degree and related charges. The duo reportedly ran the Drevetska/Talko prostitution ring from 1275-1277 70^th Street and 8017 New Utrecht Avenue in Dyker Heights. They face seven years in prison if convicted of the top count.

On September 8, while executing search warrants at the Drevetska and Talko properties, police also arrested two women–Yuliya Doherty and Anastasi Karvova–who have since been charged with unauthorized practice of a profession and/or prostitution.

On September 6, three people were arrested during execution of a search warrant at 31 Bay Ridge Avenue, another allegedly fake “day spa,” hiding an alleged prostitution operation. This location has been the source of repeated complaints and petitions in the community.

Arrested at that location were Seol-Hwa park, Meizi Huang and Fu Lan Quan, who is the owner. All were charged with unauthorized practice of a profession and Park and Huang were also charged with prostitution.

These arrests are part of Phase Two of the investigation. Phase One’s completion, announced on July 11, resulted in the arrest of 19 people in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights.

The arrests are the result of a one-year joint investigation conducted by the KCDA Special Investigations Unit and the Brooklyn South VICE Unit of the NYPD.  This operation used physical surveillance, undercover work and search warrants to reveal evidence of sex trafficking, prostitution and promoting prostitution.

Hynes stated that the Brooklyn DA’s Office Human Trafficking Bureau “will continue [its] efforts to eliminate Sex Trafficking, Promoting Prostitution, as well as all the crimes that flow from these activities.

“I hope that these arrests will send a message not only to the communities of Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights and Greenpoint, but throughout Brooklyn, that my office shares their concerns regarding these so-called “massage parlors” and we will not tolerate illicit operations that exploit women and adversely affect neighborhoods,” Hynes added.

Brooklyn Assemblymembers Joan Millman and Nicole Malliotakis, as well as Councilmember Vincent Gentile and State Senator Marty Golden praised the arrests  as critical to “helping fight crime, improve safety and quality of life for all Brooklyn residents and to recognizing the plight of many women who get trapped in unthinkable situations.”