A 65-year-old Tamarac woman remains behind bars in Broward accused of running a prostitution operation out of a Fort Lauderdale massage parlor.
Hyun Ja Kim was arrested July 7 as part of an ongoing investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Money Laundering Task Force.
She ran the Broom Massage spa at 2762 E. Oakland Park Blvd. since December 2016, according to the arrest report.
Undercover officers, employee statements, and other evidence were gathered that confirmed the spa was a front for prostitution, the report stated.
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At Kim’s first court appearance Friday, Broward assistant state attorney Eric Linder – with the assistance of a Korean translator – explained how Kim kept her workers in line.
“Prior employees made allegations that they were threatened by either having their passports kept from them or that law enforcement would be called regarding their legal status in the country if they did not continue to work for Miss Kim’s business,” he told the judge.
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Linder also said Kim was the subject of an ongoing human trafficking investigation.
According to the arrest report, Kim deposited about $45,000 in prostitution profits into several bank accounts over a seven-month period. The deposits were in cash at teller windows in small amounts -- between $1,200 and $2,000 -- so as not to raise any red flags.
Kim attempted to transfer between $20,000 and $100,000 out of the U.S. during 12-month periods in violation of federal cash transfer limits.
She is charged with money laundering and living off the proceeds of prostitution and is in the Broward County Jail on bonds totaling $80,000, records show.
