Fairfax County police last week arrested a Chantilly woman believed to be connected to two alleged houses of prostitution. They then turned her over to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office for prosecution.
She is Joem Park, 52, of 13894 Lewis Mill Way in the Poplar Park community. At the request of authorities in Spotsylvania, police here apprehended her and charged her with one count of carnal knowledge.
Deputy Sheriff D.R. Anderson of the Spotsylvania sheriff's office detailed the case against her in a Sept. 11 affidavit for a search warrant to seek possible evidence in the woman's house. He noted that Park was arrested previously for prostitution and money laundering, is an illegal alien and, in February, was ordered deported by the federal government.
According to Anderson, in April, he and other officers executed a search warrant at Genex Massage Parlor in Spotsylvania County. "That search warrant was based upon facts and evidence that the parlor was actually a prostitution business," he wrote. "This evidence included a confidential reliable informant obtaining a sexual favor for money at this site."
THROUGH INVESTIGATION, wrote Anderson, he learned that Park allegedly ran that business with a male relative until it was sold in October 2002 to a Ms. Grimm. "On paper, the sale was completed for $20,000," wrote Anderson. "Although it was later learned that the sale price was $80,000 to $100,000."
Anderson wrote that at least one lady working in the business is an illegal immigrant and, when authorities executed the search warrant, "several illegal aliens were found to be living inside Genex. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (formerly known as INS) later verified this information."
He noted, as well, that a further investigation into the Park family revealed facts pertaining to a second alleged house of prostitution known as Fredericksburg Spa. It opened in February or early March, and Anderson wrote that Joem Park and another person are reportedly listed on several legal documents — including the business permit — as being the owners/operators.
Wrote Anderson, "Joem Park has been seen transporting what appeared to be the funds from the operation across the street to Virginia Heartland Bank ... On several occasions, an undercover police officer has visited the spa, paid some money for a 'massage' and received at least one invitation for sexual favors. On two occasions, including one on Aug. 27, a confidential reliable informant entered the premises and paid to receive oral sodomy."
Furthermore, wrote the deputy sheriff, while executing the search warrant at Genex, authorities seized cash, customer and credit-card information, bank receipts, passports and records of business and personal expenses. At the same time, authorities allegedly discovered that, until recently, Park's male relative operated similar parlors in Montgomery County. They believe he's also linked to massage parlors in Virginia and Maryland.
AS FOR JOEM PARK, wrote Anderson, "She is believed to be operating the same type of businesses in New Jersey and Maryland. She has prior arrests for prostitution and money laundering."
A Fairfax County police officer executed Anderson's search warrant at Park's Chantilly home on Sept. 11. At that time, police seized her lease agreement, two checkbooks, miscellaneous documents, a credit-card machine with charger and a Korean passport.
They also took her resident alien card, immunization record, photographs, 2002 tax return and insurance papers. Police arrested Park last Monday, Sept. 22, charging her with one count of carnal knowledge. The next day, Sept. 23, she was released into the custody of authorities from the Spotsylvania sheriff's office.
Her male relative, also from Fairfax County, has not been charged. However, the case is far from over. "This is a joint investigation we're doing with the attorney general's office," said Maj. Howard Smith of the Spotsylvania sheriff's office, Tuesday afternoon. "It's an ongoing investigation, and we anticipate more charges being brought."