Prostitution Ring: Four Plead Guilty To Running Operation At Massage Parlors In Pennsylvania

Authorities have caught a human trafficking and prostitution operation run out of massage parlors in western Pennsylvania, with four people who helped operate the parlors charged Friday.

Hui Xu, 44, of Mount Pleasant, Chang Yu, 51, of Monroeville, Robert Delano Yerick, 84, of Delmont, and Huicun Wei, 46, of Flushing, New York, each pleaded guilty to charges in running the operation in Alleghany and Westmoreland Counties.

“These individuals exploited and enslaved women, forcing them into prostitution for their own profit,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “These guilty pleas, and the jail time associated, are the closest we will get to justice for the horror they inflicted on the women they trafficked.”

Xu has been called the leader of the operation, running four Tokyo Massage Parlors, three in Monroeville and one in Delmont, where prostitution occurred. She faced charges of prostitution, human trafficking, and conspiracy. Her sentence could include 1-2 years in prison and the potential for deportation.

Wei operated another establishment, Judy’s Oriental Massage Parlor, where she engaged in prostitution. She was charged with disorderly conduct and public nuisance, and faces up to 23 months in prison.

Chen and Yerrick were responsible for picking women up at bus stations in Flushing and bringing them to work in the parlors. Yerrick also took part in the sex acts offered at the parlors and provided housing for some of the women involved. Both men were charged with disorderly conduct and have been sentenced to rehabilitation programs, as they are first-time offenders.

“My office is working every day to put a stop to these human trafficking rings that lurk in the shadows of our society,” Shapiro said.

The four were first charged in March following a grand jury investigation.

Westmoreland County has a population of over 352,000, with Greensburg serving as its seat. Alleghany County is the second-most populated in the state after Philadelphia County with over 1.2 million. Its county seat is Pittsburgh.