BOSTON — A woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly operating a sex trafficking enterprise that recruited women from overseas to work out of brothels inside apartments in two Boston neighborhoods, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Zengzeng Liu, also known as “Bella,” 40, of Flushing, New York, was charged with one count of knowingly persuading an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and three counts of using facilities of interstate or foreign commerce to promote unlawful activity.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts said Liu was arrested Wednesday in the Eastern District of New York and is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on July 8.
According to court documents, Liu, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, allegedly managed an international sex trafficking operation beginning no later than August 2025. Investigators claim she recruited women, primarily from Japan, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines, to travel to the Boston area and engage in commercial sex acts at residential apartments in Allston and Brighton.
Prosecutors allege Liu controlled many aspects of the operation, including arranging appointments with sex buyers, determining where the women worked, and collecting a portion of the proceeds. Authorities also claim she relied on recruiters based overseas and used fraudulently altered documents to obtain and maintain apartments used as brothels.
Investigators say Liu advertised women on commercial sex websites and directed potential customers to contact a phone number allegedly under her control. During undercover communications, Liu allegedly negotiated prices, provided directions to the apartments, and later required potential clients to submit personal identifying information, including photographs of work identification, before appointments were scheduled.
Court documents state that multiple women identified a “female boss” known only as “Bella,” who communicated with them via the messaging app WeChat. The women allegedly said they never met Liu in person but received instructions from her regarding appointments and work arrangements.
Victims reportedly traveled through locations including New York, China, Canada, and the Philippines before arriving in Boston. According to investigators, the women collected payments from customers but received only a portion of the money, while the remaining proceeds were allegedly picked up by couriers and ultimately sent to Liu.
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During searches of the Allston location, authorities said they encountered women from Japan who reported recently arriving in Boston and performing commercial sex acts for several days. Investigators recovered nearly $35,000 in cash, along with condoms, lubricant, surveillance equipment, and cell phones, according to court records.
Federal authorities also allege surveillance video captured dozens of suspected sex buyers entering and leaving the apartment over multiple weekends, generating tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.
At the Brighton location, investigators said they found women from Japan and Vietnam who reported engaging in commercial sex acts after arriving at the apartment and claimed they were not allowed to leave. One woman allegedly showed bruising on her knees, legs, and feet that she said resulted from commercial sex acts.
Nearly $70,000 in cash was recovered from the Brighton apartment, prosecutors said.
In total, an estimated $105,000 in cash was seized during the investigation. Authorities say the operation generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds over the last 11 months.
Investigators also allege financial records showed Liu used a Women, Infants, and Children nutrition benefits card to purchase groceries while operating the business.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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