WORCESTER (AP) – Two people accused of operating a high-end brothel network with wealthy and prominent clients in Massachusetts and the Washington DC suburbs in the United States will remain behind bars for now, a judge said on Wednesday.
Lawyers for Han Lee and Junmyung Lee agreed to a voluntary order of detention during a brief court hearing two weeks after their arrest. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy in Worcester, Massachusetts, entered the order without prejudice, which means defence lawyers can move for their release at a later date.
Their attorneys declined to comment after the hearing.
Authorities have said the commercial sex ring in Massachusetts and northern Virginia catered to politicians, company executives, military officers, lawyers, professors and other well-connected clients.
Prosecutors have not publicly named any of the buyers and they have not been charged.
But acting Massachusetts United States Attorney Josh Levy has said the investigation is ongoing and that prosecutors are committed to holding accountable both those who ran the scheme and those who fuelled the demand.
Prosecutors have argued Han Lee and Junmyung Lee pose a risk of flight, pointing to their financial resources and lack of ties to the community.
A Homeland Security Investigations agent said in court papers filed on Wednesday that authorities believe Han Lee made an “astounding” amount of money as the leader of the operation.
