Cops shuttered an alleged brothel at Astoria’s Relax Spa last month after a months-long investigation determined that the site was being used for prostitution.
The spa, located on the ground floor of a four-story, mixed-use building at 23-20A Broadway, was shuttered on Dec. 19 pursuant to a nuisance abatement closing order after police conducted undercover investigations at the premises earlier in 2025.
Justice Lumarie Maldonado-Cruz issued a preliminary injunction in the Queens County Supreme Court prohibiting the use of the commercial premises at the property for “any use whatsoever.”
Officers from the 114th Precinct began investigating the spa after a member of the public reported that prostitution was taking place at the premises in April 2025, according to documents filed in court.
NYPD officers conducted two separate undercover investigations at the premises on April 16 and July 16. On both occasions, a worker at the premises agreed to engage in sexual activities with an undercover officer in exchange for a fee, documents stated.
Police subseuqently argued that a permanent injunction against Relax Spa was necessary to abate a “serious public nuisance.”
Maldonado-Cruz noted that property owners failed to appear in opposition to the city’s allegations after being issued a summons in November.
Documents filed in court named 23-18 Realty Corp as owner of the premises, stating that the identities of individual owners of the property are not known.
However, New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development lists Farid Jaber as a shareholder at the property. The New York Department of State’s Division of Corporations also lists Jaber as CEO of 23-18 Realty Corp.
Jaber is a co-owner of the Trade Fair supermarket chain, which operates eight locations across Queens. Jaber is not a named defendant in any documents filed with the Queens County Supreme Court and is not accused of any wrongdoing. Trade Fair did not respond to a request for comment.
In documents filed in court, the city argued that property owners have a duty to be aware of prostitution activitity taking place at the premises. The city further argued that is “reasonable” to infer that property owners were aware that prostitution was ongoing at the location because a member of the public had made a report to the NYPD.
“(The city) respectfully submits that as the public was aware of the use of the subject premises for prostitution as evidenced by the community complaint received by the NYPD, defendant 23-18 REALTY CORP. should have been aware of such unlawful use, and therefore, has a duty to protect the public from this criminal activity,” the city said in court documents.
A resident who lives in the area but wishes to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution said the existence of an alleged brothel was an “open secret” among neighbors for years.
“All of my neighbors knew it was going on,” they said.
The resident further revealed how some neighbors had alleged that prostitution had been ongoing at the location for roughly eight years.
