FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2017
THREE INDICTED ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES FOR SELLING WOMEN FOR SEX AT BROTHELS
AG’s Office, FBI Worked with Local Police Departments to Dismantle Sex Trafficking Operation in Boston, Cambridge, North Reading, and Quincy
BOSTON – Three individuals have been indicted on human trafficking and money laundering charges for trafficking women for sex at brothels throughout Greater Boston, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. The AG’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division previously arrested the individuals after a joint investigation and takedown in May.
A Statewide Grand Jury today indicted Pingxia Fan, age 40, of Boston, Timothy Hayes, age 50, of Gloucester, and Simon Shimao Lin, age 59, of Boston, in connection with trafficking women for sex at brothels in Boston, Cambridge, North Reading, and Quincy.
“Victims of human trafficking are preyed upon by pimps and traffickers who exploit the most vulnerable among us for profit,” said AG Healey. “We allege these defendants ran an extensive criminal operation that took advantage of women and sold them for sex. We thank the FBI and local police departments for their continued partnership in dismantling criminal networks that exploit human beings.”
“Collectively, it’s estimated that Fan and her associates were making millions of dollars, every year, exploiting women,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division. “When human beings are treated as commodities and are trafficked for sex, they are not only being abused physically, but emotionally, mentally, and financially. The FBI will continue to surge resources and collaborate with our law enforcement partners to impede, disrupt, and dismantle the criminal networks that are responsible for this illegal activity.”
The defendants were indicted by a Statewide Grand Jury on the following charges:
Timothy Hayes, age 50, of Gloucester
Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude (5 counts)
Deriving Support from Prostitution (5 counts)
Keeping House of Ill Fame (5 counts)
Conspiracy to Traffic Persons for Sexual Servitude (5 counts)
Money Laundering (3 counts)
Pingxia Fan, age 40, of Boston
Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude (5 counts)
Deriving Support from Prostitution (5 counts)
Keeping House of Ill Fame (5 counts)
Conspiracy to Traffic Persons for Sexual Servitude (5 counts)
Money Laundering (3 counts)
Simon Shimao Lin, age 59, of Boston
Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude (2 counts)
Conspiracy to Traffic Persons for Sexual Servitude (2 counts)
Money Laundering (3 counts)
The defendants will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on some charges on July 18. They will be arraigned in Middlesex and Norfolk Superior Courts at later dates.
The defendants were arrested in May after an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Human Trafficking Division.
The AG’s Office began an investigation after a referral from the North Reading Police Department, which did an initial investigation into a residence in North Reading and offered extensive assistance in this case.
The investigation revealed that these defendants ran a sex trafficking and money laundering operation involving multiple brothels—two in Quincy, and single locations in Boston, Cambridge, and North Reading. The defendants allegedly used multiple vehicles to transport sex trafficking victims, money, and supplies.
The defendants allegedly arranged for women to meet with men at the brothel locations to provide commercial sexual services in exchange for cash. Authorities allege the majority of the money from these encounters went to the defendants, which they laundered into the business to perpetuate the daily operations of the criminal enterprise.
These charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
AG Healey has a dedicated Human Trafficking Division that focuses on policy, prevention and prosecution and includes a team of specialized prosecutors, victim advocates and Massachusetts State Police troopers who handle high impact, multi-jurisdictional human trafficking investigations and prosecutions across the state. Through the Human Trafficking Division, the AG’s Office has charged more than 35 individuals in connection with human trafficking since the law was passed.
The FBI Boston Division’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force is one of 12 DOJ-funded task forces in the country with the mission to combat sex and labor trafficking. Nationally, the FBI participates in over 100 human trafficking task forces and working groups. The FBI believes in a victim-centered approach to human trafficking investigations, where identifying and stabilizing victims of this heinous crime is equally as important as providing resources to help them.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Nancy Rothstein and Jeffrey Bourgeois, both of the AG’s Human Trafficking Division, with assistance from Deputy Chief of the Human Trafficking Division Jennifer Snook, Nikki Antonucci, Chief of the AG’s Victim Services Division and Investigator Jillian Petruzziello of the AG’s Financial Investigations Division. It was investigated by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Human Trafficking Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, with assistance from the AG’s Digital Evidence Lab. The Massachusetts State Police and the Boston, Cambridge, Gloucester, Newton, North Reading, Quincy and Revere Police Departments also provided assistance.
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