Owner of New Berlin massage parlor ran a prostitution ring out of her business, complaint...

[massage]

Jim Riccioli Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Published 7:49 PM EST Feb 18, 2019

NEW BERLIN - New Berlin police knew nearly three years ago that something was amiss at a massage business along one of the city's busiest roads.

It started in April 2016, with an anonymous call from someone who said he had been propositioned to pay for sexual favors, above the cost of a normal massage, at Asian Massage and Reflexology, 13827 W. Greenfield Ave.

The tip was enough for police to do some some digging around, first scanning online sources, such as the now-defunct Backpage.com for illicit ads authorities had long linked to prostitution cases, and then coordinating with other agencies involving similar cases elsewhere in the Milwaukee area, including Waukesha.

By the time New Berlin had wrapped up its investigation in December 2017, police thought they had enough evidence to warrant charges against Jing Zhang, 56, of Chicago, identified as the operator of the business.

Zhang was formally charged Feb. 15 in Waukesha County Circuit Court with keeping a place of prostitution, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, the anonymous tip and a Backpage.com ad, one of which specified a service involving "hot new girls that change every two weeks," both referenced the same Greenfield Avenue address.

Using two different informants over the course of many months, police verified the initial tip, with Asian workers improperly touching male patrons and then trying to "negotiate a higher payment rate" for services including masturbation, according to the complaint.

On one occasion, a second masseuse came into the room during a session, lifted up her shirt and placed the patron's hand on one of her breasts, then removed her bra and placed her breasts against his face, the complaint said.

Police were also aided by a state Department of Criminal Investigations investigator, who provided online reviews from an erotic massage website. The reviews included 15 that referenced the Asian Massage and Reflexology business in New Berlin.

One of the informants positively identified Zhang as the masseuse who had massaged him inappropriately, according to the complaint.

With that information, police were granted and executed a search warrant in December 2017, in which Zhang was found in the room with a man whom the complaint said acknowledged he had just received a massage that included masturbation moments earlier.

The complaint also referenced an incident some time earlier in which Zhang was stopped while driving her vehicle, which had a defective taillight, on Greenfield Avenue. Inside the vehicle, on a consensual search, police found bundles of cash totaling $8,500 in a large purse, and another $2,400 in Zhang's possession.

According to the complaint, Zhang later claimed the money that she was carrying was to pay the business' rent and to obtain new massage tables.

Police weren't buying it, and they sought charges shortly thereafter.

Authorities weren't clear on why the case took so long to bring to circuit court. Waukesha County District Attorney Susan Opper said she couldn't comment on the matter.

There was no indication Zhang was involved in any of the other suspected prostitution cases involving massage parlors in Waukesha, West Allis and Franklin during that same time period.

Regardless, Zhang was expected to make her first court appearance on March 4. Court records seemed to indicate she is not already in custody.

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