BOSTON — A California man will spend more than 2 years behind bars for his role in a high-end brothel network that spanned from Massachusetts to Virginia.
James Lee, 70, of Torrance, California, was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, according to a Department of Justice spokesperson.
Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; one count of money laundering conspiracy; and one count of wire fraud in February 2025.
Lee, along with Cambridge residents Han Lee and Junmyung Lee, were arrested and charged in November 2023 for operating an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothel located in the greater Boston area and eastern Virginia.
Prosecutors said the three charged sex buyers a premium price for appointments with women advertised on their websites. Buyers paid anywhere from $350 to upwards of $600 per hour for sex, depending on the services, and paid in cash.
Lee was in charge of renting the high-end apartments and serving as a liaison between the women working in the units and the property managers.
In addition to his prison sentence, the U.S. District Court judge ordered Lee to pay restitution in the amount of $569,123 for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds, and a money judgement of $63,000 related to the proceeds earned in the prostitution conspiracy.
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