People on the client list not yet out of the woods
[QUOTE=BobORama;6672675]Only a matter of time before this all blows over. The owners will likely not face any jail time, at least not for prostitution or human trafficking. Just look at Wikipedia on Prostitution in the US: "Prostitution is illegal in the vast majority of the United States as a result of state laws rather than federal laws". There's no reason for federal agencies, like the DOJ and DHS, to get involved with suspected prostitution, as that's relegated to the state level. So now all they've got is human trafficking. But good luck getting those Korean women to testify. It should be noted that not a single news article mentioned that the authorities took these Asian women in for questioning. When you don't even have your main source of evidence in human trafficking cases (in this case, the women), what else have you got? Not much, so the cases will likely be tossed.
At best, they can probably hit the owners with money laundering or racketeering. So, some jail time is possible. But not much.
New agencies will pop up using different names. Probably run by the same people.
People on the so-called client list are safe. Having your name on a list is not evidence of a crime committed. Even sending text messages discussing payment for sex is not sufficient. They would need to catch you in the act to prove you engaged in prostitution. The agencies are not sting operations. There are no cameras set up inside the apartments.[/QUOTE]As I posted earlier, while it's unlikely that clients will get caught up in the criminal case, anyone who has a security clearance may still have cause for concern. That means govt employees and contractors, of which I'm sure some are on the client list, are potentially at risk.
Two things could happen: A willful or "accidental" release of client info, or a behind the scenes sharing of info with security clearance adjudication agencies. At this point there's no way to know if either of those would happen, but any client who tried to dispute or challenge might have to go public to do so, which carries its own set of problems. This is likely more of a concern in the VA and DC area than it is in MA, but still too early to sound the "all clear" signal.
About the defendants, I've only skimmed the publicly released info, but I've seen charges related to trafficking, money laundering, and identity theft. Activity that might ordinarily fall under state laws gets bumped up to the federal level once it crosses state / intl borders, or otherwise involves interstate commerce (which includes a wide range of things). Hard to say what kind of sentences they're facing as a lot will depend on how much money they're alleged to have laundered. And, while I haven't seen specifics, I wouldn't be surprised to see a denial of bail, or a really high bail amount, based on the possibility of flight risk.
About the alleged "trafficking" victims, the feds will likely roll out a whole host of carrot-and-stick incentives. For example, if any of the women acted as on-site mamasans (holding $, or any kind of management activity), they could be charged as a co-conspirator. Someone like that would be a good target to flip in exchange for a plea deal. For other women, allowing them to remain in the US (carrot) vs deportation (stick) is a likely tactic. Hard to say what any individual woman will do, but it only takes one or two for the "trafficking" charges to stick. And it's also normal practice to not put all of your evidence into a publicly available affidavit. I'm guessing that interviews of clients and providers have already taken place, but that info is not required to be disclosed unless the case goes to trial AND a specific individual is on the witness list.
Lots of stuff yet to unfold. Stay tuned!
P.S. Will new agencies pop up? Absolutely! The world's oldest profession is resilient in the extreme. Run by the same people? Highly risky for them unless they run things from outside the US, in a country where extradition is unlikely. Repeat offenders in the federal system tend to get slammed pretty hard.
I agree and am thinking positive thoughts
[QUOTE=BobORama;6672675]Only a matter of time before this all blows over. The owners will likely not face any jail time, at least not for prostitution or human trafficking. Just look at Wikipedia on Prostitution in the US: "Prostitution is illegal in the vast majority of the United States as a result of state laws rather than federal laws". There's no reason for federal agencies, like the DOJ and DHS, to get involved with suspected prostitution, as that's relegated to the state level. So now all they've got is human trafficking. But good luck getting those Korean women to testify. It should be noted that not a single news article mentioned that the authorities took these Asian women in for questioning. When you don't even have your main source of evidence in human trafficking cases (in this case, the women), what else have you got? Not much, so the cases will likely be tossed.
At best, they can probably hit the owners with money laundering or racketeering. So, some jail time is possible. But not much.
New agencies will pop up using different names. Probably run by the same people.
People on the so-called client list are safe. Having your name on a list is not evidence of a crime committed. Even sending text messages discussing payment for sex is not sufficient. They would need to catch you in the act to prove you engaged in prostitution. The agencies are not sting operations. There are no cameras set up inside the apartments.[/QUOTE]Rebrands, new crews, websites and locations should do the trick. No way human trafficking sticks. All the girls I have seen took this as a job like any other, but this one pays a lot more. Thinking this has to do with Politics and elections right now. By next year it's going to be all about Fentanyl crisis.
