Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Two Las Vegas massage parlors linked to alleged prostitution ring

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Thomas Leitzen

Click to enlarge photo

Alan Russell

Five suspects accused of running a prostitution ring at a pair of Las Vegas spas have been indicted by a grand jury on dozens of felony charges, the Nevada Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday.

Metro Police allege the suspects owned and or operated the Cactus Spa, 3141 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, and Japanese Spa – which also was known as Jade Spa – 4770 Spring Mountain Road, officials said.

The criminal satellite recruited women for prostitution, and subsequently found customers on the “Kickback” cellphone app, officials said. Line-ups of the women would be organized and a transaction would be negotiated.

Outcall services were available, but the suspects also would facilitate for taxicabs or ride-sharing vehicles to pick up customers and bring them to the businesses, officials allege.

The prostitutes were paid and instructed on how to detect and fool authorities, officials said.

The alleged crimes, which made the ring about $3 million, took place from January 2014 to July 2018, officials said. The spas were a “facade” for prostitution houses.

Jeff Yu-Kuang Lin was charged with 36 counts; Thomas Burnett Leitzen Jr. with 19 counts; Tony Mathews with 10 counts; Alan Christopher Russell with eight counts, and Stan Li with five, officials said.

The charges include racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, pandering, living from the earnings of a prostitute, placing a person in house of prostitution, and money laundering, officials said.

“With convictions, initiatives and legislation to protect our vulnerable populations from human trafficking, sexual assault, elder abuse and domestic violence, my office continues to look for innovative ways to pursue individuals and businesses seeking to exploit members of our communities,” said Attorney General Adam Laxalt in a news release. “My office is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners to obtain this indictment in an effort to protect women from being exploited for profit and to hold these defendants accountable for their actions.”

Clark County District Judge Linda Bell on Thursday issued five arrest warrants, court logs show. The suspects were scheduled to appear in front of her on Nov. 26.

A records search Thursday evening showed that the five warrants remained active.