NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk man was sentenced Friday for crimes related to a network of massage parlors in Hampton Roads that were used to facilitate commercial sex.
Ye Wang, 32, received a 37-month prison sentence for conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Wang, along with co-defendants Si Liu, 36, and Yang Gao, 33, were arrested in 2022 for charges related to sex trafficking and prostitution. However, in a plea agreement earlier this year, the trio pleaded guilty only to conspiracy to commit money laundering and all other charges were dropped.
Prosecutors say that from about January 2021 to May 4, 2022, Wang, Liu and Gao ran "illicit, unregistered massage parlors" in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg that made money from the prostitution of female employees. They say women were recruited online, that they performed sex acts for cash in the massage parlors, and then Wang, Liu and Gao conspired to move and conceal the proceeds.
"Gao, Wang and Liu traveled to the massage parlors located in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg to collect prostitution proceeds, and then deposited a percentage of profits into various bank accounts," the U.S. Attorney's Office stated in a release. "Money was then transferred to other members of the larger enterprise through cash deliveries and via mobile banking."
Prosecutors say $696,706.65 was laundered during the conspiracy and proceeds were split with the women who performed sex acts.
In their plea agreement, Wang, Liu and Gao also agreed to forfeit four vehicles, three personal residences, over $130,000 in cash, jewelry, and a gold bar. Prosecutors say the items have a combined value over $1,000,000.
Liu and Gao were sentenced in August to 30 months and 48 months, respectively.