Felony prostitution-related charges against a rural Hawley woman were the result of an undercover operation by two state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents, acting on the request of the Detroit Lakes Police Department.
That’s according to the criminal complaint filed in Becker County District Court against Jinlan Li, 60, one of the owners of Sunny Asian Health Massage in Detroit Lakes.
According to court records, law enforcement had been getting numerous reports of possible prostitution-related activities at the massage business since 2015.
In two of the reports, individuals admitted to receiving manual stimulation of their penis-genital areas at the end of a paid massage.
On Sept. 10, 2019, undercover BCA agents paid for massages at the business to see if sexual favors were offered as part of a paid massage.
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One agent was given $200 in pre-marked confidential buy money and paid Li $140 for a “four-hand” one-hour massage.
Li patted the agent on the rear end as she led him down a corridor to a private room where he was directed to disrobe and lie down on a massage table, according to the criminal complaint.
About 10 minutes later Li came in and began rubbing the agent’s shoulders and back. Then a second woman, who looked to be in her early 30s, came in and started to massage his lower back and bare buttocks. The two women asked him to turn over onto his back, with his genital areas covered by a towel, according to the complaint.
The second woman, who was not named in the complaint, rubbed his leg and lower area and began to touch his genital area, then asked if he wanted his penis massaged, while rubbing his genitals in a way designed to cause an erection.
At the same time, Li was rubbing the officer’s arms and chest, bending over him several times to let her breasts rub against the officer's face. The officer declined the penis massage, and some time later, the second woman indicated the massage was over, and the officer dressed and left the room.
At about the same time, another BCA agent bought a massage and was also offered sexual favors by a different female employee in a separate room.
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A search warrant on the business was executed Thursday, Feb. 13, and Li was arrested and charged with two felony counts of soliciting, inducing or promoting prostitution and one gross misdemeanor charge of keeping a disorderly house.
