Watertown Man Admits Role In Interstate Prostitution Ring

WATERTOWN, MA – A Watertown man has admitted to participating in a long-running interstate prostitution ring, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Jineok Kim, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce individuals to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

Kim was arrested in March along with five other suspects: Yoon I. Kim, 36, of Haymarket, VA; Taehee Kim, known as “Hyunsook Kim,” 46, of Haymarket, VA; Susan Bashir, known as "Susan Redmon" or "Susan Redmond," 41, of Stone Mountain, GA; and Kyung Song, 52, of Lexington. Bashir pleaded guilty this month and Song is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on Aug. 13. Yoon and Taehee Kim have pleaded not guilty.

From spring 2016 to December 2017, Kim participated in a network that operated multiple brothels in high-end apartments in Cambridge, Atlanta and eastern Virginia, authorities said. The group advertised appointments with Asian women primarily on three websites: www.bostonasiandolls.com, www.exoticasiansatlanta.com and www.redhotflowers69.com.

The women advertised were moved from city to city to work as prostitutes, according to the USAO.

Kim provided transportation and supplies such as condoms for women working from brothels in Cambridge. He picked up and laundered cash profits from each of the locations, depositing the proceeds into accounts belonging to Taehee Kim or a consulting business set up by Yoon Kim. He also sent them to Kim by money order, authorities said.

The charge of conspiracy to engage in money laundering provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds.

The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce women to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution carries a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain/loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to engage in money laundering carries a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds.

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