Couple charged with running brothels around state

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Authorities say that a New Brunswick couple has been charged with running a prostitution ring with women in the country illegally in at least eight brothels across the state.

Federal prosecutors said Thursday that 36-year-old Juan Fredy Hernandez-Zozaya and 33-year-old Elizabeth Rojas Rojas managed the brothels in private houses and employed women in the country illegally as prostitutes.

The couple was scheduled to make their first court appearance Thursday.

Prosecutors say the couple has been under investigation since 2012 and that the brothels operated in New Brunswick, Trenton, Orange, Lakewood, Asbury Park, and Bridgeton.

They say that Hernandez-Zozaya oversaw the daily operations of the brothels and that Rojas organized the prostitutes' schedules.

© 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.