A Queens grand jury indicted an Elmhurst couple and their alleged accomplice from Forest Hills on sex trafficking charges for forcing a Colombian woman to engage in sex for money inside a Union Street brothel in Flushing, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday.
Kwai Ling Chan, 47, and Bobby Chen, 38, both of Simonson Street in Elmhurst, were arraigned Monday in Queens Supreme Court on six counts of sex trafficking and other related crimes. Tashi Chimchu, 34, of 66th Avenue in Forest Hills, was indicted on three counts of sex trafficking and other charges and will be arraigned at a later date.
On Sept. 4, members of the NYPD’s Vice Enforcement Division conducted an undercover operation at the massage parlor and arrested Chimchu and Chan. Officers also recovered a pepper spray ball gun from Chimchu. Defendant Chen was arrested upon arriving at the precinct to check on Chan early the following morning.
“My office is committed to fighting back against the exploitation of Queens residents,” Katz said.
According to the charges and indictment, defendant Chan met the victim in June. At the time, they agreed on a $14,000 fee to bring the victim’s 10-year-old daughter from Colombia to New York. The victim was told she could pay off the debt by working as a masseuse inside an apartment at 43-17 Union St. She was further told that having sex with the clients was not required.
Chan demanded possession of passports for both the victim and her 6-year-old daughter, who was already in the United States. Chan refused to give the passports back until the victim’s debt was paid off. Chan also allegedly increased the amount of debt following a purported infraction by the victim.
Shortly after the victim started working at the location as a masseuse, a client demanded sex in exchange for cash, and the victim refused. Chan allegedly told her she must comply with the demand for sex or her older daughter would not be brought into the U.S. Chan made verbal threats aimed at the victim’s younger daughter to force the victim to continue to engage in prostitution.
Between July 6 and Sept. 4, the victim was forced to have sex with clients in exchange for money several days a week, with the proceeds being handed to Chan or her husband, Bobby Chen.
Between Aug. 31 and Sept. 4, defendant Chimchu allegedly worked at the location by arranging the dates, negotiating the prices for services and using the company cell phone to schedule appointments with clients who responded to prostitution advertisements. He allegedly collected the proceeds, which were handed to Chan or Chen.
“The defendants are accused of victimizing a young mother of two trying to reunite with her underage daughter,” Katz said. “Too often, sex trafficking victims are made to feel as though they have no other choice but to comply with abusive demands.”
Queens Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone ordered Chan and Chen to return to court on Nov. 12. If convicted of the top count, the three defendants face up to 25 years in prison. The three have remained in custody since the arrests.
Chan and Chen were remanded into custody without bail at their Criminal Court arraignment earlier this month. At their Supreme Court arraignment on Monday, Justice Vallone ordered $500,000 cash/$1 million bond for Chan and $250,000 cash/$1 million bond for Chen. Chimchu has been on a $500,000 cash/$1 million bond securing order since the arrest.
“The Human Trafficking Bureau in my office works hand in hand with the NYPD and our partner service providers to prosecute traffickers while providing resources for victims to safely escape their situation,” Katz said. “If you are a victim, I urge you to seek help by contacting my office at 718-286-6548.”
