Liu pleas guilty for trafficking women, sentenced to five years

Sept. 11, 2019 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

Above shows the former location of Feng Health center at 611 N. Main St. in East Longmeadow. Currently, the location is host to Zains Smoke Shop.
Photo Credit: Google Street View

EAST LONGMEADOW –  Feng Ling Liu, operator of the former Feng Health Center in East Longmeadow, has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to five years in state prison for trafficking women for sex at illicit bodyworks and massage businesses in Western Massachusetts.

In December of 2016, Reminder Publishing reported that Liu, her husband Jian Song and daughter Ting Ting Yin were all arrested in connection with a human trafficking operation connected to Feng Health Center. The massage business was located at Burack’s commercial property at 611 N. Main St. All were arrested for trafficking women from New York to the Feng Health Center as well as locations in Hadley and Framingham for the purpose of having them perform sexual acts for profit.

At the time in 2016, East Longmeadow, authorities alleged Liu and Song received the bulk of the monies received from the sexual acts performed at the location.

Feng Health Center was investigated by East Longmeadow Health Director Aimee Petrosky for individuals maintaining a residence at a business, which is against health regulations. A notice dated Dec. 13, 2016, and signed by  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. The Attorney General’s Office alleged that trafficking victims were housed at 611 N. Main St., a building that is zoned for commercial use.    

Shortly after the arrests were made in 2016, the East Longmeadow Planning Board unanimously voted to terminate Feng Health Center’s special permit.

According to Attorney General Maura Healy’s report released on Sept. 4, Liu was indicted by a Statewide Grand Jury in February of 2017 for these crimes. The investigation found that Liu trafficked women between New York and Hadley Massage Therapy in Hadley, Feng Health Center in East Longmeadow and Massage Body Work in Framingham.

Healey announced on Sept. 3 that Liu pleaded guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to Trafficking in Persons for Sexual Servitude (three counts), Conspiracy to Traffic Persons for Sexual Servitude (three counts), Transacting in Laundered Money (three counts), Deriving Support from Prostitution (three counts), and Keeping a House of Ill Fame (three counts.) After the plea was entered, Judge John Agostini sentenced Liu to five years to five years and one day in state prison.

“Through these businesses, Liu offered sexual services for a fee between the victims and sex buyers. Liu received most of the profits from these sexual encounters and used much of this money to keep her business running as well as buy jewelry, automobiles, and travel,” the release read. “The victim lived in the businesses and depended on Liu for transportation, groceries and other supplies. Liu recruited women, advertised sexual services online, set up appointments, and arranged for transportation for the victims.”

Healy commented on the case, stating, “Traffickers like this defendant continue to use illicit bodyworks establishments as fronts for criminal activity. This illegal business model needs to be disrupted and we’ll continue to fight human trafficking in all its forms.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth Vasiliades, of the AG’s Western Massachusetts Office, Special Assistant Attorney General Jeremey Bucci, Chief Trial Counsel of the Northwestern DA’s Office, and Assistant Attorney General Natalie Hoch, with assistance from the Northwestern DA’s Office, Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northampton, West Springfield, Sunderland, Salem and Framingham Police Departments. Senior Financial Investigator Eugene Griffin of the AG’s Office, Victim Witness Advocates Megan Murphy and Rebecca Quigley from the AG’s Office, the Queens and New York DA’s Offices, the AG’s Digital Evidence Lab, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI Boston Division, and Massachusetts Department of Correction also assisted.

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