Authorities arrest several in Metro Detroit connected to human trafficking ring - Detroit News

[Hannah Mackay]

Detroit — Federal, state, and local authorities raided four alleged illicit massage parlors in Wayne and Macomb counties on Friday, arresting three people and liberating between seven and nine women in connection with an international human trafficking ring, Attorney General Dana Nessel said.

It is still unclear which of the liberated women are victims and which may be criminal defendants, Nessel said at a press conference in Detroit after the raids, but her office is coordinating housing and other resources for them with community organizations like Avalon Healing Center, Beauty for Ashes, Common Ground and Asian Services in Action.

The victims are all adults from China and Korea and came to the United States legally, Nessel said. They are currently being interviewed, but many don't have any family in the United States, she said. They will be entitled to special visas for human trafficking victims.

"It should be made clear that Michigan will be no harbor to the heinous trafficking trade for forced labor, sexual or otherwise," Nessel said.

Search warrants were executed at the four locations: 111 Healing Studios in St. Clair Shores; Healing Studio in Sterling Heights; Magic Health Spa in Detroit; and Eight Star Spa in Detroit, in addition to residences in Detroit and Clinton Township, Nessel said.

Police arrested Jingyu Jin, a 45-year-old Chinese woman allegedly in charge of the trafficking ring, on Friday morning after she arrived in Michigan. Nessel said her primary residence is in Flushing, New York. Jin is charged with multiple counts, including conducting a criminal enterprise and conspiracy to commit conducting a criminal enterprise.

Police also arrested Hauzi Piao, a 60-year-old Chinese woman who they believe assisted in operating several parlors, and Jon Villasurda, of Clinton Township, who transported the victims between airports and parlors. They both face several charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise and conspiracy to commit conducting a criminal enterprise.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office charged Michael Richard Navoy, 70, of Allen Park in connection with the alleged human trafficking and prostitution ring as well. Navoy was also arrested by State Police on Friday and faces charges of human trafficking, forced labor resulting in commercial sex activity, and accepting earnings of prostitution.

Two people, Oumar Lougue, 53, and 59-year-old undocumented immigrant Ming Li, have been charged in connection with the ring but have not been arrested, Nessel said. Lougue is believed to be involved in a business and domestic partnership with Jin and out of the country right now, she said. Both are accused of helping to conduct prostitution and a human trafficking ring and face multiple charges.

Jin, Villasurda, and Lougue have been charged in the 40th District Court in St. Clair Shores, while the charges against Piao and Li have been filed in Detroit's 36th District Court. The charges against Navoy were filed in Southgate's 28th District Court. Arraignments have not been scheduled yet.

"Some of these defendants are noncitizens of this country and pose certain flight risks," Nessel said. "We are requesting that the courts not offer any bonds and secure their passports."

Nessel's office believes the operation involved crossing state lines with individuals who did not live in the state visiting and laundering their money at casinos before exiting the state.

"Through physical surveillance efforts, our investigative team observed various members of this alleged criminal enterprise moving between parlors, airports, casinos and residences," Nessel said.

Human trafficking cases are difficult crimes to prosecute, Nessel said, often because victims are reluctant to testify.

"One of the big challenges to prosecute human trafficking cases is that these folks are scared. You know, they're terrified, and we want to do everything we can to make sure that they feel as safe and secure as possible," Nessel said. "The last thing that we want to be doing is to be charging people who are victims of human trafficking with criminal offenses."

Nessel said the raids and subsequent arrests highlight why laws need to be changed to better protect trafficking victims. She expressed support for State Rep. Kelly Breen's proposed human trafficking legislation and hopes that the bill package will be passed by the Michigan legislature next week. The bills would expunge records of people who committed an offense because they were victims of human trafficking, and expand protections for juveniles who are harmed by human trafficking.

The investigation was carried out by Nessel's office in cooperation with Michigan State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, St. Clair Shores Police and Sterling Heights Police.

The St. Clair Shores Police Department initially began investigating a suspected illicit massage parlor. They eventually coordinated this investigation with Michigan State Police, who were also investigating several illicit massage parlors in Southeast Michigan, Nessel said.

Paul Plaza, deputy chief of the St. Clair Shores Police Department said it is a great example of the "see something, say something" strategy.

"In our town, at least, it started off with residents or citizens seeing something suspicious, taking that step to report it. Our detectives investigated, found out that it was much larger than we suspected," Plaza said.

Officials could not specify how long the alleged parlors were operating before Friday, but Nessel said the victims suffered through "weeks and months of forced commercial sex work."

The investigation will include looking for customers who frequented the illicit massage parlors, Nessel said.