NJ husband and wife admit running massage parlor sex ring, give up $1.2M stashed in cash

⚠️ A Bergen County husband and wife admit running a prostitution ring through 9 spas.

➡️ Federal prosecutors say the couple stored $1.2 million cash inside their home.

🔴 Duo also forfeits luxury watches, handbags and jewelry bought with illegal profits.

A Bergen County married couple gives up more than a million dollars and luxury goods in pleading guilty to running a prostitution ring out of day spas in New Jersey.

Palisades Park husband and wife, Zhejun Piao and Miyeon “Maya” Choi, both 38, each pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Trenton federal court to conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of the mail and any facility in aid of a racketeering enterprise.

Federal prosecutors say couple operated spas tied to prostitution ring

From at least May 2017 until their arrest in 2024, the duo owned, operated, and made money from their workers illegally offering clients sex services for cash.

Choi admitted to being a leader of the conspiracy in which she, Piao, and others owned or operated the following nine massage parlors, often referred to as spas:

▪️Spa Wellness in Toms River
▪️Good Day Spa in East Brunswick
▪️365 Spa in Fairview
▪️Coco Spa in Paterson
▪️Gold Spa and 785 Spa in Passaic
▪️Queen Spa and Hawaii Spa in Edgewater
▪️New Soothing Day Spa in New Rochelle, New York

The spas typically were opened everyday, 8 a.m. to midnight, with many of the women living for a time at the spa.

Investigators said in many cases, the women workers charged customers a fee of $160 or $175 for an illegal, sexual service.

Often, customers of the parlors were given loyalty or rewards cards, and could receive a “free” service for frequent visits, officials said.

Read More: Police seize $100K in NJ spa prostitution probe

Couple agrees to surrender cash, luxury watches and designer bags

Choi admitted to recruiting women to work at the spas, booking appointments by phone, controlling the proceeds, and online advertising sexual services offered at the spas.

For his role, Piao admitted to delivering supplies to the spas, including groceries, cleaning supplies, medications, and condoms, as well as picking up receipts, and cash proceeds from the spas.

The married couple admitted to storing $1.2 million in cash and “tens of thousands of condoms” in their home.

As part of their guilty pleas, Choi and Piao agreed to give up the cash, plus a collection of designer handbags, luxury watches, and jewelry bought with the illegal profits.

They each face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, when sentenced on Oct. 6.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom