A local investigation leads to several closures of massage parlors.
Police in Bothell, Washington have shut down several downtown massage parlors while they conduct an investigation into prostitution and human trafficking at the businesses.
With a city name like Bothell, it’s probably a good idea to pause and take a closer look at the local living rooms. It appears to be an increase in “sad endings” everywhere you turn.
A couple who own massage parlors in Bothell, Wash., deny they are doing anything illegal. (Image credit: Getty)
CHIRO 7who interviewed a couple who own two of the shutdown locations, reports that Bothell police had the fire department help close the doors with stop-work notices for “unsafe conditions in the buildings.”
The couple who own the massage parlor, Li Wiezuo and his wife Lizhen Yang, told the outlet that there is nothing illegal going on in their businesses. The allegations of prostitution and human trafficking are unfounded.
“You can go inside to check,” Li said when asked about the allegations involving five different Bothell massage parlors. There is nothing illegal going on in the two they own, they insist.
According to KIRO 7, Lizhen is listed as the registered agent for one of the parlors, and she also appears on the King County arrest list. They say she was released after being charged with investigating human trafficking and prostitution.
Business owners push back on allegations of illegal activities
Li makes it seem like there is some kind of misunderstanding. That’s not how they run their business. He added: “We are always tender with people. We like to make friends with people.”
How do you build a business? Being tender and making friends with your customers is a decent approach. The pair deny any wrongdoing and know exactly where to look for such crimes.
“If you want to find or arrest a real criminal, human trafficker or prostitute, you can go to Epstein Island,” Li said.
Bothel Police Department Captain of Investigations Mike Johnson, who began looking into the massage parlors after complaints from people in the community, did not want to go into specifics.
The investigation is ongoing, they have made arrests and expect charges. He noted that the fire department notices were mainly for electrical work done to convert parts of the living rooms into residences.
Li says that’s not what’s going on. They are places for workers to rest. He said, “The bed. The ladies have, you know, they need rest.”
He added of his wife: “(A) small, tiny, tender lady… trafficking? Ridiculous.”
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