Monday Human Trafficking Arrests 'A Great Day for Victims'

Law enforcement officials said Monday that a pair of human trafficking arrests were not only a major victory for police, but also the women at the center of the ring who are considered the victims of “modern day slavery.”

During a Monday press conference at the Wilmington Police Department, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced that Xiu J. Chen, 32, of Medford, and Ronald Keplin, 57, of Woburn, will each face charges on one of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, six counts of deriving support from prostitution and six counts of keeping a house of ill fame.

“In this case we allege that these individuals ran a large scale criminal operation involving the sale and sexual exploitation of other human beings for their profit,” said Coakley. “We allege that these women were kept in deplorable conditions, often confined to a single room with few mattresses on the floor and that they were told to work seven days a week in various locations.”

According to Coakley, Chen and Keplin ran businesses in Bedford, Billerica, Medford, Reading, Wilmington and Woburn that on the surface appeared to be massage parlors. But instead, police allege that up to 10 clients each day at each location were paying for sexual services.

What Coakley and others said at Monday’s press conference was how critical a recent law change was. The human trafficking law passed in February 2012 made it possible to focus on those running the alleged prostitution ring, rather than prosecuting the women who in this case are considered victims.

Authorities said that the women, often from outside of the country and who may not understand English well, were often told that if they did not perform the sexual favors, harm could come against them or their families.

“The greatest challenge in combating human trafficking is victim identification,” said Michael Netherland, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “Surprisingly, many people are unaware that this form of modern day slavery occurs every day in the U.S., even here in New England."

Both Chen and Keplin are scheduled to appear in Somerville District Court on Tuesday morning. Officials said they couldn’t yet comment on how many alleged victims there were, and added that they are still investigating if the human trafficking ring went any further than is currently suspected.

A long list of agencies combined in the lengthy investigation, something that Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis said was key. 

“This is a great day for victims, a great day for law enforcement, and a great day for our partnership,” said Begonis. “(Human trafficking) affects cities and towns of all shapes. Wilmington being a small community, you look at something like this being here, it’s shocking to the citizens. But the reality is that this is more common than you think.”

Medford Police Chief Leo Sacco, Jr., echoed Begonis's sentiments.

"Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the law enforcement entities involved in this investigation, this operation has been shut down," said Sacco.