A Korean national living in Dedham, Massachusetts, identified as Junmyung Lee, has been sentenced to one year in prison for his involvement in an interstate prostitution network. Lee, who played the role of a "booker" for high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia, received his sentence on April 18, 2025, from U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick. In addition to the prison sentence, Lee faces deportation after serving his time and will undergo one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $200,000, representing proceeds from the conspiracy.
Lee admitted guilt in October 2024 to charges of conspiracy related to coercing individuals to travel for prostitution and money laundering. He was originally detained alongside co-defendants Han Lee and James Lee in November 2023, both of whom were indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024.
With Han Lee sentenced to four years in March 2025, his case included a forfeiture order of over $5.4 million, while James Lee awaits sentencing in May after a guilty plea in February. Their network involved managing multiple brothels and encouraging women to travel interstate for prostitution from January 2022 to November 2023. The operation grossed over $5.6 million from about 9,450 arranged appointments.
Junmyung Lee earned $6,000 to $8,000 monthly for his participation, which involved client vetting and coordinating appointments. Contacts were managed via distinct phones for Massachusetts and Virginia, encompassing over 2,800 verified customers, with one primary contact phone for Virginia never recovered. Lee also facilitated travel for women working in these brothels and leased a brothel under his name for a portion of the proceeds.
Efforts to conceal proceeds involved structured deposits and peer-to-peer payments. They also used money orders below reportable amounts for expenses like rent and utilities.
The announcement about the case was made by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations New England, and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow. The prosecution of the case is handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Weinstein and Raquelle Kaye, with support from various law enforcement agencies.