Man accused of human trafficking related to ‘illicit massage parlors’ - MLive.com

[Justine Lofton | jlofton@mlive.com]

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – A married couple is facing multiple criminal charges related to running a “series of illicit massage parlors” in which they allegedly trafficked women and forced them to perform sexual acts for little or no pay, authorities said.

On Tuesday, Paul Richard Katterman II, 57, of Livonia, was arrested and charged, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced. His wife, Zixuan Wan, was arrested and charged in March after four allegedly trafficked Chinese women were rescued from three massage parlors she operated.

Katterman is charged with human trafficking enterprise resulting in commercial sexual activity, human trafficking enterprise, keeping house of prostitution, conducting a criminal enterprise, and failure to file taxes, according to a news release.

Wan is charged with human trafficking, keeping a house of prostitution, conducting a criminal enterprise, second-degree money laundering, and failure to file taxes, the release said.

Katterman allegedly participated in the operation of a human trafficking enterprise with Wan, the release said. At a “series of illicit massage parlors,” women were allegedly trafficked, made to live, and worked long hours for little to no pay.

“Trafficking has become a sophisticated criminal enterprise that generates huge cash profits for the criminals who run them,” McDonald said. “We must use every available tool and resource to free victims, prosecute traffickers, and seize their ill-gotten money.”