SACRAMENTO – Four people were arrested and face felony charges after special agents with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) busted a suspected sex trafficking ring operating in Sacramento and San Mateo counties.
Special agents, with the assistance of the Sacramento Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation served arrest and search warrants at multiple locations in both counties, June 13, 2013.
"Taking young women and taking control of their lives, moving them from house to house, selling them for sex is despicable," said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA). CSLEA represents 7,000 law enforcement, public safety and consumer protection professionals who work for the state of California, including DOJ special agents. "The special agents in the Bureau of Investigation who worked this case are true heroes for rescuing these young women and putting the suspects behind bars."
The arrests are the result of a five-month investigation. According to the Attorney General's office, the suspected prostitution ring trafficked women from Boston and New York to brothels in and around Sacramento and San Mateo counties. Once in Northern California, the young women were rotated between brothels on an organized schedule. About a dozen women are considered victims and were rescued.
“Sex trafficking rings like the one we dismantled... destroy the lives of young women and degrade the social fabric of our communities,” said Attorney General Harris. “I am committed to using all of the law enforcement tools at my disposal to bring to justice those who profit from the cruel and depraved business of sex trafficking.”
Arrested and charged with pimping and/or pandering:
- Xiu Juan Bai, 43, Sacramento County, charged with 8 felony counts
- Ken Wong, 58, Sacramento County, charged with 13 felony counts
- Yoon Chin, 55, Sacramento County, charged with 3 felony counts
- Zhi Liu, 49, San Mateo County
