EAST LONGMEADOW – At its Jan. 3 meeting, the Planning Board unanimously voted to terminate Feng Health Center’s special permit.  

Three people were arrested on Dec. 13 in connection with a human trafficking operation connected to Feng Health Center, located at 611 N. Main St. Feng Ling Liu, 50, and her husband Jian Song, 48, both of Sunderland as well as her daughter Ting Ting Yin, 26, of New Hyde Park, NY, were all arrested for allegedly trafficking women from New York to Feng Health Center as well as locations in Framingham and Hadley for the purpose of having them perform sexual acts for profit.

The arrests were part of an extensive sting performed by state and local law enforcement in Massachusetts and New York. Federal agencies closed down two separate trafficking operations that were begin investigated collaboratively by the Attorney General’s (AG) office, the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, and the Northampton Police Department with assistance from other departments.

A total of four people were arrested and 10 trafficking victims were identified in connection with illegal activities at five businesses.

A notice dated Dec. 13 and signed by East Longmeadow Health Director Aimee Petrosky that was attached to Feng Health Center’s door stated the structure was unsafe for human use and unlawful for any person to occupy the building from 5 p.m. and 9 a.m.

Feng Health Center was investigated by Petrosky for individuals maintaining a residence at a business, which is against health regulations.

No one representing Feng Health Center attended the public hearing for the revocation of the special permit.

Planning Board Chair Ralph told Reminder Publications prior to the start of the meeting the town was unable to get in contact with business owner Feng Ling Liu.

According to special permit documentation, at the time of the application Liu, who is listed as the sole owner of the business, maintained a residence at 84 Hillside Drive in East Longmeadow.

“The actual address that was given to us on the special permit is either no longer valid or not working,” he noted. “We sent certified mail there and it’s come back to us.”

Page stated during the meeting the information on the special permit hasn’t been updated in two years – “hence the reason we can’t get in touch with them.”

He added, “That alone, to me, would be reason for revocation.”

Planning Board member Deborah Bushnell said the business had a responsibility to update its special permit annually, which it failed to do.

Planning Board member George Kingston said Feng Health Center also did not receive authorization for additional licensed massage employees, which is a requirement. The board only approved Liu to perform licensed massages at the business.

“It’s pretty obvious that there were other people there other than her and we never approved it,” he added.

Director of Planning, Zoning, & Conservation Robyn Macdonald said during the meeting property owner Daniel Burack, a real estate developer and member of the Board of Public Works, stopped by her office earlier that day to ask her if he needed to attended the meeting.

“I said, ‘No,’ because it really didn’t have anything to do with him,” she told the board. “It was a special permit strictly that was granted to the owner of the business.”

This is the second recent instance of a massage business that was closed down at the location due to allegations of human trafficking. The first was Korean Massage, which closed in 2013.

In 2012, Town Meeting voted to require all licensed massage businesses to obtain a special permit. The Planning Board denied the application of Gye-Hwa Shin, a resident of Flushing, NY, and owner of Korean Massage.

Korean Massage was the subject of several police actions. Although, the AG’s office did not establish any connection between Korean Massage and Feng Health Center, the operations were similar in nature.

Page said prior to the meeting he believes the Planning Board would “definitely take a closer look” at any potential new massage businesses in the future.

“Obviously, being in a business district under a special permit, you try to do all of your preamble to it,” he explained.

He added the owner of Feng Health Center will be sent a notice stating the business no longer has a special permit to operate at the location. The notice would also be sent to Burack.

When asked about his thoughts on human trafficking being discovered at the same location twice, Page replied, “To that – I don’t have an answer. I don’t know why they would choose the same location to the same exact business. I’m sure the AG’s office is doing an extensive investigation.”