'Booker' for High-End Brothel Network Pleads Guilty

BOSTON - A Dedham, Mass., man who served primarily as the "booker" for an interstate prostitution network that operated sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston.

Junmyung Lee, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Feb. 12, 2025. Junmyung Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass. and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, Calif. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. Han Lee pleaded guilty on Sept. 27, 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 20, 2024.

From at least January 2022 through and including November 2023, Junmyung Lee knowingly conspired with Han Lee and, allegedly, James Lee to operate an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia designed to entice women to travel interstate to engage in prostitution. Junmyung Lee and his alleged co-conspirators also knowingly conspired with one another, and others, to launder the proceeds of the prostitution network by concealing that the money was derived the prostitution conspiracy.

Junmyung Lee was recruited to work for the prostitution network in approximately late 2021 through early 2022, as the business expanded. His main role in the conspiracy was that of the appointment "booker" and assisted with various tasks to maintain the prostitution network. In exchange, Han Lee paid Junmyung Lee $6,000-$8,000 per month.

As "booker," Junmyung Lee was responsible for vetting sex buyers, booking appointments, as well as communicating directly with vetted customers via at least two cell phones - for Massachusetts and for Virginia, respectively. These brothel cell phones each contained over 2,800 verified customers of the prostitution business. An additional known cell phone containing additional contacts for the Virginia brothel was never recovered. Junmyung Lee also helped transport women to and from the airport, with some women working at the brothel locations on multiple occasions and in multiple states.

The defendants allegedly rented high-end apartments in Massachusetts and Virginia to serve as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. In June 2022, Junmyung Lee leased one of the brothel locations in Cambridge, Mass. under his own name. In exchange for the lease, Junmyung Lee received a large cash payment of prostitution proceeds from Han Lee. A portion of the cash payment went towards the purchase of a Corvette.

Additionally, Junmyung Lee collected the cash proceeds from the various brothel locations at the direction of Han Lee. Junmyung Lee would then conceal the proceeds via structured deposits into personal bank accounts. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at the brothel locations.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact [email protected].

The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds laundered, whatever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Offices in the Central District of California and the Eastern District of Virginia; the U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.