Xiong Xie and Ying Guo, pictured above, are wanted in a multi-million dollar human trafficking ring.
Seven individuals face a 33 felony count federal indictment in a suspected human trafficking ring operating in the Denver area, reports the Denver Post.
The indictment alleges the seven made millions of dollars operating a prostitution ring out of massage parlors and used some of that money to finance illegal marijuana grows. They are also accused of money laundering and tax evasion.
“We believe that the defendants were hiding in plain sight as they trafficked women from China to engage in sex acts with customers of their massage businesses,” said Denver District Attorney Beth McCann to Fox31. “The excellent collaboration between our local, state and federal law enforcement agencies has led to the closure of these businesses and to the dismantling of an international human trafficking operation.”
According to DenverChannel.com, two of the seven remain at large. They are Ying Guo, 49 and Xiong Xie, 54.
The investigation dubbed “bad apple” has been ongoing for a year.
The Post reports undercover officers received solicitations for sexual intercourse and other illegal acts.
Two women told authorities they paid $14 per day to live in one of the massage parlors.
The indictment alleges the human trafficking operation profited off the “exploitation of vulnerable people.” The investigation goes as far back as March 2019.
“These indictments reflect our community’s commitment to ending the appalling crime of human trafficking, holding alleged offenders accountable, and removing victims from these terrible situations,” Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen told Fox31.
Besides Xie and Guo, three men and two women were indicted: Chen Liang Kuo, 45; Yi Ting Mo, 42; Manqui Xu, 57; Le Zhang, 46;and Xuelin Chen, 33.
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