Family-run massage businesses fronted California commercial sex operation
KTLA reports on a recent investigation uncovering a criminal enterprise run by a family in Ventura County, California. The operation, led by Xiangwei Ma, used massage businesses as fronts for commercial sex operations and laundered money through various means.
Prosecutors revealed the following:
- The case began in 2020 when law enforcement received anonymous tips about prostitution and human trafficking at specific massage parlors.
- The investigation uncovered a decade-long operation involving the recruitment and exploitation of women from China for commercial sex.
- Defendants, including Xiangwei Ma, her husband Ming Ma, her brother Xiangdong Ma, and her sister Li Ma, moved funds through banks, life insurance policies, casinos, and real estate transactions.
- Xiangwei Ma previously pleaded guilty to related charges in Los Angeles County and served an 18-month prison sentence.
The convicted family members are:
- Xiangwei Ma (head of the organization)
- Ming Ma (her husband)
- Xiangdong Ma (her brother)
- Li Ma (her sister)