Undercover Maynard police officer got naked massage at suspected brothel, officials say
When town residents complained of a possible brothel at a spa above a sandwich shop, Maynard police launched an investigation by sending in an undercover officer for a massage.
At the Asian Spa, the officer fully undressed, had his buttocks touched by the masseuse and other sexual acts were offered before the operation ended on Friday, according to court documents. He then returned on Tuesday with a warrant, Homeland Security, state troopers and a Canton police officer in tow.
Two women were arrested at the parlor — one being Jianping Wu, 68, of Malden, whose name was on utility bills at the spa.
The other, a Flushing, New York resident named Meiying Cheng, 57, was the one to give the officer the massage. She spoke limited English but told police she lived in New York, had been brought to Massachusetts by someone she didn't know, handed over earnings from her massages to "the house" and was living on the premises.
Wu and Cheng were both arraigned with a Mandarin interpreter in Concord District Court on Wednesday. Wu faces three prostitution charges, including the felony charge of maintaining the house of prostitution, and was ordered held on a $100,000 bail.
Cheng faces four charges related to prostitution. These are keeping and maintaining the house of prostitution, along with deriving support from it and performing sexual acts for a fee. She was ordered held on a $50,000 bail.
The situation is still under an open investigation "as there is reason to believe that human trafficking is taking place and other parties are involved," according to a Maynard police report.
This case comes less than a year after a scathing DOJ report criticized Worcester police for using undercover tactics that involved sexual contact with women suspected of prostitution, which former U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy called "outrageous" and a violation of the women's constitutional rights.
"The International Association of Chiefs of Police has recognized that officers should never engage in sexual contact with civilians while on duty, including while undercover," the DOJ report read.
" ... Whether the officers or the women initiated the sexual contact is irrelevant, because officers may not engage in or acquiesce to sexual contact for investigatory purposes," the report read. It also stated "sexual touching is not necessary to effect an arrest for buying or selling sex under Massachusetts law," and that the sexual contact "served no legitimate law enforcement purpose."
The Maynard case also comes after a high-end brothel was discovered operating out of apartment buildings about 20 miles away in Cambridge. Dozens of men who were clients were publicly identified through court proceedings earlier this year, including a Cambridge city councilor and a Boston oncologist .
No similar undercover operations tactics were publicly cited as an investigation tactic by law enforcement in that case. The Maynard Police Department was not immediately available for comment.
Undercover and undressed: What happened at the spa
At 5 p.m. on Aug. 1, an undercover Maynard police officer went for his massage appointment at the Asian Spa, located at 107 Main St. above the Subway sandwich shop.
The visit was a part of an ongoing investigation. Officers had recently surveilled the area and spoken with several men who said women at the spa offered sexual favors during massages. Community members had also reported suspicions of prostitution and detectives linked the spa's phone number to multiple websites known for advertising commercial sex.
When the undercover officer arrived at the Asian Spa on Friday, he entered the stairwell, rang the doorbell and heard what sounded like five or six people moving upstairs.
A woman came down to greet him. She introduced herself as "ChiChi" — later identified as Cheng — and he told her he had a 5 p.m. appointment. After Cheng let him inside, the officer saw another woman he later identified as Wu sitting on a couch in a common room area, the police report read, but saw no other people.
Cheng led the officer into a private room, told him to lie down on the massage table and asked him for a $50 upfront payment, the report read. The officer handed her $60 in cash.
Cheng then told him to take off his shirt, and "signaled" for him to take off his pants, the report read, with which the officer complied.
"While the undercover officer was on the table, ChiChi attempted to pull down his underwear. When he expressed reluctance, she responded in broken English, saying, 'This is for massage,'" the report read.
"To avoid compromising his undercover role, the undercover officer allowed her to proceed. She removed his underwear, folded it and placed it with his clothes," the report read.
During the massage, Cheng made sexual movements towards the officer. She also began sexually touching and massaging his buttocks, the police report detailed.
"When the undercover officer appeared uncomfortable, she stopped," the police report read.
After that, Cheng got out a pillow and told the officer to turn over on his back. She kept massaging his leg, but then paused and used a hand gesture recognized as solicitation for a sex act, the police report states.
"She said, 'Do you want? Only $50 more. Thirty minutes,' while continuing the gesture," the report read. The undercover officer declined, "saying he was nervous and, 'My wife wouldn't like that,'" the report read.
"Despite repeating the offer, the undercover officer again declined, and ChiChi resumed massaging his other leg without further inappropriate behavior," the report read.
Cheng "eventually indicated the massage was over" and told the officer he could get dressed. As he put his clothes back on, Cheng made the same gesture and offered an "enhanced experience" by lowering her top. The officer quickly got dressed and exited the room, the report read.
The arrests
When law enforcement returned with a warrant on Tuesday, they searched the Asian Spa and found nobody but Wu and Cheng, but discovered luggage that led them to believe other people were there.
There were "multiple new and used condoms, lubricant, ledgers, cash, and the presence of bodily fluid" found in massage rooms and throughout the building, the report read.
A Canton police officer assisted with translation at the scene. Both Wu and Cheng had a set of keys to the building and a cellphone, according to the report.
Wu told officers she was from Malden and had recently been brought to the spa by a woman named "Jenny," whom officers identified through a photograph taken of her during their surveillance of the area. "Jenny" was previously observed leaving the spa, going to a CVS and then back to the spa during officers' surveillance, the report read.
But as she spoke with officers, Wu would "contradict herself and was unable to provide explanations regarding the spa, how she got there, and who the owner was," the report read. Utility bills in her name were also found in the building, which officers felt supported "her connection to ownership and ongoing operations," the report read.
Cheng had a slightly different story. She told officers that she normally lives in Flushing, New York, but was introduced to the spa by a friend-of-a-friend, whose name she did not know. That person had driven her from New York to Massachusetts, and she "stated that she has been living at the spa since she was dropped off there," the report read.
Cheng told officers that when she gave massages, "she had to pay the 'house,'" and "if she gave a $70 massage, $50 of it would go to the 'house,' $20 would go to her and she would keep the tips," according to the report.
"[Cheng] stated that she did give the undercover officer a massage, however, she did not attempt to perform any sexual acts on the officer," the report read, adding that she denied removing his underwear or making any gestures.
Cheng had been previously charged for prostitution in Houston, Texas, according to the report, which she denied at the scene and stated she was arrested because she was in the same massage business as others at the time.
At times during their interaction, Cheng told officers she didn't speak English and couldn't understand them, the report read. Officers repeatedly advised her of her Miranda Rights, and she repeatedly agreed to speaking with them.
Officers felt Cheng "was not being truthful," stopped the interview and placed her under arrest.
The women are expected back in court this month for pretrial sessions and hearings.
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