A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two Chinese nationals for operating illegal massage businesses engaged in prostitution in southern Illinois and Indiana.
Jianhong Allbright, of Shoals, Indiana, and Yalong Cao, 25, of Schaumburg, Illinois, are each facing one count of money laundering and one count of conspiracy for allegedly running a prostitution operation at the Oriental Home Spa & Massage in Centralia, Sunflower Spa in Mount Vernon, Rose Spa in Harrisburg, Oasis Massage Spa in Vandalia and Oriental Massage Parlor in Corydon, Indiana.
Allbright also faces one count of transporting an individual to engage in prostitution.
According to court documents, conduct occurred between March 2022 and June 2024 at the five massage parlors.
Allbright is accused of managing the parlors’ day-to-day operations.
Cao is alleged to have recruited employees to engage in prostitution and collecting the proceeds.
The charges say the men advertised the prostitution at their massage parlors on websites.
U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft said, “Massage parlors engaged in prostitution are criminal enterprises that create and exploit financial dependency to trap immigrants and others, coercing them into degrading subjugation. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute sex trafficking.”
The Illinois State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Illinois Department of Revenue are working on the investigation.
