BOSTON — A Cambridge woman was sentenced to four years in federal prison for running an interstate prostitution network that generated over $5.6 million through high-end brothels in Massachusetts and Virginia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced today.
Han Lee, 42, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Boston on Wednesday after pleading guilty last September to conspiracy to induce individuals to engage in prostitution and money laundering. She was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $5.4 million and restitution in an amount that will be determined at a later date. She will also serve one year of supervised release following her four year prison sentence.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, from at least July 2020, Lee and her co-defendants, Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, California, ran a network of high-end brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, as well as Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia. Prosecutors say the operation primarily recruited Asian women, arranging for them to travel interstate to work in prostitution.
To maintain secrecy, Lee and her co-defendants rented luxury apartments, furnished and managed them as brothel locations, and imposed strict house rules on the women. The operation advertised through websites—including bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog—which posed as professional photography services but actually facilitated sex work appointments. Investigators searched and seized the domain names for both websites pursuant to search warrants executed in November 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said.
“Han Lee didn’t just recruit women to sell their bodies for sex – she built a criminal enterprise designed to thrive in the shadows, evading law enforcement while profiting off her victims like commodities,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We will relentlessly pursue and prosecute those who exploit vulnerable women through interstate sex trafficking and launder their illicit gains. Those who engage in this conduct will be identified, held accountable and sent to federal prison. Full stop.”
Prosecutors say potential clients were required to undergo a screening process over these websites, submitting personal and employer details to ensure they were not law enforcement officers. Once verified, they could book appointments, with rates ranging from $350 to over $600 per hour. Investigators say the brothel network Lee hosted served approximately 9,450 client appointments and generated over $5.6 million in revenue.
Prosecutors allege that Lee attempted to conceal proceeds from the prostitution network by depositing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash into personal and third-party bank accounts, as well as through peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, the defendants are accused of using large sums of cash to purchase money orders in amounts small enough to evade reporting and identification requirements. These money orders were then used to pay rent and utilities for brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia.
Co-defendants await sentencing
Lee was arrested in November 2023, and a federal grand jury indicted her and her co-defendants in February 2024.
- Junmyung Lee pleaded guilty in October 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2025
- James Lee pleaded guilty in February 2025 and will be sentenced on May 28, 2025
Authorities encourage anyone with information about the case to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
