A woman accused of leading a commercial sex ring in Massachusetts and Virginia that authorities said catered to “wealthy and well-connected clientele” is expected to plead guilty in federal court on Friday.
Han “Hana” Lee, 41, of Cambridge intends to “enter a guilty plea as to the charges lodged against her,” according to a court filing on Aug. 29. Her plea hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday in the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse in South Boston.
One of Han Lee’s alleged top assistants, Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, is also expected to plead guilty in the case during a hearing set for Oct. 30, according to court documents. He filed a motion for a change of plea earlier this month.
A third person, James Lee, 69, of California, continues to plead not guilty in the brothel case. A pretrial conference for James Lee is set for Oct. 29.
Meanwhile, lawyers of several alleged clients of the interstate brothel network have argued that their clients’ names should not be released during show cause hearings surrounding the case.
Authorities in November arrested Han Lee, Junmyung Lee, and James Lee, who are all accused of running a “sophisticated” commercial sex network in Watertown, Cambridge, and in Virginia, where buyers paid up to $600 per hour for a wide array of advertised sex acts.
All three were indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. They were arrested in November.
News of plea discussions in the high-profile brothel case broke in June.
“The parties have engaged in plea discussions,” U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy wrote in a report filed June 10 in U.S. District Court in Boston.
All three defendants were arraigned in person on Feb. 6. Since then, Hennessy earlier wrote, federal prosecutors “produced discovery on March 5 and May 30, 2024″ that is described “as voluminous and intends to produce further discovery, such as forensic searches of some electronic devices not already completed, as such discovery becomes available.”
A trial of all three defendants would require up to 10 days, wrote Hennessy.
Attorneys for the alleged sex ring clients, only identified as “John Doe #1-17″ to date in court documents, have pushed to keep the court hearings private.
Elected officials, doctors, lawyers, professors, accountants, and military officers were reportedly among a group of “high-end” clients who paid for the illegal sex services at various locations in the Bay State and in Virginia.
A Cambridge police detective on Dec. 18, 2023 filed applications for criminal complaint against 28 people for sexual conduct with another person for a fee.
No names on the client list will be released until probable cause has been found, officials have said.
It was unclear Thursday when, or if, public court hearings would be held.
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