The owners and operators of eight Chicagoland massage parlors throughout Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will Counties were arraigned after the Illinois Attorney General’s office alleged they were engaged in money laundering and promoting prostitution, according to a press release from the AG’s office.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Yang Yuan, 37, of Aurora; Jianwei Zou, 62, of Naperville; and Guilan Sun, 64, of Aurora, have each been charged with six counts of money laundering, Class 1 felonies punishable by up to four to 15 years in prison, and three counts of promoting prostitution, Class 4 felonies punishable by up to one to three years in prison. The defendants pleaded not guilty at the arraignment, and their next court date is set for Aug. 17.
“Businesses that engage in illicit activities risk the safety of their staff and customers, as well as the general public in the communities they are part of,” Raoul said. “I would like to thank the law enforcement agencies that collaborated for this complex investigation, and I am committed to continuing to work with law enforcement at all levels to enhance public safety across Illinois.”
According to Raoul, the charges are the result of a three-year investigation by several state and federal law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Illinois State Police and the Naperville Police Department. After discovering suspicious online ads connected to the massage parlors, the Naperville Police Department conducted several undercover operations at the businesses, where officers were solicited for sexual acts.
“This was a long and thorough investigation that was conducted by the Naperville Police Department involving the cooperation of many agencies in the process,” Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said. “I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that was demonstrated by our Investigations Division in this case that led to these alleged offenders being charged. I would also like to thank the Illinois Attorney General’s office as well as the Buffalo Grove, Elmhurst, Lake Zurich, Roselle and Wheeling police departments for their collaboration and assistance in this matter.”
