[UPDATE] Two-Month Investigation Results in Cedar Grove Prostitution Raid

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office announced the arrest of 5 Queens, N.Y. women on alleged prostitution charges Tuesday, May 14, but were unable to discuss the case in detail Wednesday, citing the continuing investigation.

The five women were arrested from four different massage parlors all located in close proximity on Pompton Avenue in Cedar Grove.

Police also seized approximately $2,400 in the raid, which was conducted by plainclothes officers, said Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly, of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit.

Arrested were: Yu Lanni, 42, at Zen Massage and Therapy, Neilan Xu, 49, at Spa Oasis, Xianyu Jin, 40, at Angel Spa, Jaeryeong Kimnam, 45, at Michelle Nails & Spa and Fenyu Piao, 41.

Officers had been investigating the parlors for about two months prior to the arrests after receiving multiple complaints, said Public Information Officer Katherine Carter of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

The operation involved undercover officers, but Carter could not elaborate since it is still under investigation, she said.

“The Cedar Grove Township Building Department and Health Departments are looking into any related township ordinance violations,” said Cedar Grove Chief of Police Richard Vanderstreet.

Verona-Cedar Grove Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.