Bronxville Madam, 3 Others Charged With Prostitution Conspiracy

BRONXVILLE, NY — A Bronxville woman was one of four people arrested Tuesday for conspiracy to commit prostitution. Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced the arrests of Gui You Wu, a/k/a “David, a/k/a “Michael,” Youmei Chen, a/k/a “Ah Mei,” a/k/a “You Mei Chen,” Guixia Wu and Hong Zhong, a/k/a “5023,” a/k/a “023,” for conspiracy to engage in the interstate trafficking of women, primarily Chinese nationals, for the purposes of prostitution.

They were all charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Mann Act and the Travel Act by conspiring to transport an individual or individuals in interstate commerce with the intent that such persons engage in prostitution, or any sexual activity for which a person can be charged with a criminal offense, and by traveling in interstate commerce or causing someone else to travel in interstate commerce or using or causing to be used the mail and facilities in interstate and foreign commerce, with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate unlawful prostitution and promotion of prostitution, which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, according to Berman.

Guixia Wu, 49, a Bronxville resident, was arrested in Bronxville. The other three defendants — Gui You Wu, 46, Chen, 51, and Zhong, 37, — are Flushing residents and were arrested there. They will be presented Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison in White Plains federal court.

“As alleged, these defendants promoted and managed a multi-state prostitution business through an extensive network of operators who worked in different locations to advertise and facilitate prostitution. These defendants then allegedly raked in millions of dollars from their illegal and exploitative activities,” Berman said.

According to the indictment unsealed Tuesday in federal court, between about 2013 and 2017, Gui You Wu was the manager of a business engaged in the interstate trafficking of women, primarily Chinese nationals, for the purposes of prostitution. As part of the prostitution business, he and others transported women for the purposes of prostitution to and from hotels and motels in multiple states, including New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, Missouri, and elsewhere, by means of vehicles and through the purchase of airline tickets.

The business recruited customers through the placement and purchase of advertisements for escort services on classified websites such as Backpage.com. Chen, Guixia Wu and Zhong assisted Gui You Wu in the promotion and management of the business through, among other things, payment for hotels and other business expenses, placement of advertisements, coordination of travel, communication with women working as prostitutes and the movement and receipt of proceeds from the business.

Gui You Wu also employed several individuals, including Zhong, as telephone operators for the business, and they placed advertisements to recruit customers for the prostitution business and used cellphones to coordinate between the customers and the prostitutes.

Gui You Wu is also charged with violating the Mann Act by knowingly transporting an individual in interstate commerce with the intent that the individual engage in prostitution and sexual activity on or about Feb. 25, 2016, which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Any individuals who believe they have information that may be relevant to the investigation should contact the FBI at 212-384-1000 or online.

Berman praised the work of the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations in New York and thanked the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this investigation. He said that the investigation is continuing.

Image via Shutterstock.