Missouri Attorney General sent letters to 35 metro area massage businesses suspected of illegal activity - KCTV Kansas City

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KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Following Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s announcement of an initiative to combat instances of human trafficking by targeting illicit massage businesses across the state, KCTV5 News asked for a list of metro businesses suspected of illegal activity.

According to a spokesperson for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, roughly 35 businesses in the Kansas City area, spanning from Liberty to Peculiar, are suspected of running an illicit massage business.

The spokesperson provided examples of suspected illicit massage businesses that have already been evicted during the Hope Initiative including Jade Massage, the Lotus Spa at 112 Vivian Rd. in Kansas City, MO, the Relax Spa at 715 Westport Rd. in Kansas City, MO and Perfect Massage at 856 SW Blue Pkwy in Lee’s Summit, MO, 64063.


The Missouri Attorney General’s Office sent letters to 77 landlords informing them of their tenant’s potentially illegal activity by advertising on illicit websites. The letter urged landlords to evict the tenant who is under suspicion.

According to the Missouri Attorney General’s office, traffickers often use the legitimate massage therapy industry as a front for human trafficking.

“They advertise rather openly on illicit websites promoting prostitution,” Assistant Attorney General Sarah Jones said. “More often than not, their victims are typically from Asian countries like China, South Korea, Thailand and Japan, and are enticed to the United States by recruiters with a promise of well-paying employment or education.”


41 of the 77 landlords responded to the letters. 23 have either been removed via eviction, are no longer a tenant, or the landlord will not renew their lease. 17 have indicated to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office that they are committed to removing the tenants but have not begun the eviction process yet. One landlord has refused to evict.

“You will no longer be able to hide behind the façade of a legitimate business to continue your organized criminal activity,” Schmitt said. “We are investigating you.”

The next two phases of the Hope Initiative entail potential lawsuits or criminal cases. Missourians are asked to report all instances of human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

“More often than not, we discovered that these landlords were unaware of their tenant’s illegal activity,” Schmitt said.

Landlords who believe that their tenant is engaging in illicit activity can report those tenants by clicking here.