Owners of Denver spas indicted in human trafficking ring

Colorado’s statewide grand jury has indicted three people on 19 counts in connection with a ring of human trafficking, pimping and money laundering operating out of a several spas in the Denver metro area.

The owners and operators of Jewel Spa in Denver and Pine Therapy, ABC Spa, and A Spa in Jefferson County now face charges of felony racketeering and conspiracy according to the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, conspiracy to commit human trafficking for sexual servitude, pimping and conspiracy, money laundering and conspiracy, keeping a place of prostitution and pandering. 

2 of the defendants also face an additional charge of sexual trafficking for sexual servitude. The three defendants indicted are Hye Kyeung Seo, Sang Hyon Shim, and Seon Hee Wolf.

Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a news conference Friday they laundered money from the spas through casinos, using money orders and small cash deposits in ATMs, therefore avoiding federal transaction reporting requirements.

Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said law enforcement found out about the operation when a potential customer went to the Jewel Spa believing it was an ordinary massage parlor and was propositioned for a sexual act. He declined, and the employee broke down and cried when he talked to her further. The customer then called the Denver police.

Law enforcement praised the man who spoke up, saying the tip kick-started a yearlong investigation. “We have a vulnerable population that would still be suffering dehumanizing types of crime,” said Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen.

Alexis King, who is the district attorney for the 1st Judicial District covering Jefferson and Gilpin Counties, said trafficking operations are difficult to prosecute because victims’ traffickers tend to control them through means such as their money and identification, and making them fearful with threats of harm.

“Massage parlors can pose a particular challenge because they can be very cloistered, and it may be very hard, particularly when folks don’t have any control over money or identification — to even be seen out in the community,” she said.

“And so, they are a particularly challenging level of victimization and control that perpetrators inflict, and that’s why bringing case like this is so important to the community.”

Denver’s City Council passed an ordinance last year requiring massage businesses to be licensed. McCann said the measure, which takes effect July 1st, will be an important tool in preventing human trafficking.

“This case is an excellent example of why that measure was necessary. That new tool … will greatly enhance our ability in Denver to go after traffickers who force their victims into these intolerable situations.”