Islip Terrace Woman Ran Brothel For More Than A Decade: Police

ISLIP TERRACE, NY — A 67-year-old Islip Terrace woman was arrested Monday after police said she operated a residential brothel for more than a decade.

Suffolk County police said Helen Mantell, of 204 Cedarwood St., was charged with prostitution after an investigation by the department’s Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, with help from Third Precinct patrol officers.

The investigation began after community complaints about a residential brothel at the Cedarwood Street home, police said.

Detectives found online advertisements and message boards indicating Mantell had been operating the brothel since at least 2012, police said. Mantell used the name “Phyllis” in the advertisements, police said.

The investigation is continuing, but police said there is no evidence of human trafficking at this time.

Mantell was issued a desk appearance ticket and will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a later date, police said.

Detectives are asking anyone with information to call the Human Trafficking Investigations Unit at 631-854-7512.