An Asian family of four that operated an illegal prostitution ring disguised as a Ventura massage parlor for over a decade has been convicted and sentenced to prison terms.
Operation of Illegal Massage Parlors and Money Laundering
According to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, the defendants operated massage businesses in Ventura and Port Hueneme, recruiting women from China to force them into prostitution. The proceeds generated from the prostitution operations were laundered through financial institutions, life insurance policies, casinos, and real estate transactions.
The investigation began in 2020 after anonymous tips were received alleging that prostitution and human trafficking were taking place at ‘Miracle Massage’ in Ventura and ‘A+ Massage’ in Port Hueneme.
Family Roles and Prison Sentences
The investigation revealed that 56-year-old Xiangwei Ma orchestrated the illegal operations, joined by her husband Ming 41, younger brother Xiandong Ma 54, and sister Li Ma 60.
Identified as the ringleader, Xiangwei Ma was convicted of nine counts of pandering, mortgage fraud, and money laundering, resulting in a sentence of 14 years and 8 months in prison. She previously served an 18-month sentence in Los Angeles County after pleading guilty to attempted pandering. While she was incarcerated, other family members continued running the massage parlors. Following her release, she directed the operations without registering her name as an owner or manager.
Xiandong Ma was sentenced to 10 years in prison for pandering and five counts of money laundering, while Li Ma received 5 years and 4 months for pandering and one count of money laundering. Ming Ma was sentenced to 4 years and 4 months for pandering and two counts of money laundering.
Li Ma’s husband, Jamie Calderon, 64, previously pleaded guilty to involvement in money laundering and was sentenced to serve time in the Ventura County jail.
Asset Forfeiture and Prosecution Stance
Chief Deputy District Attorney Nicole Kelly stated, “While they appeared to be legitimate massage businesses, they were actually criminal enterprises exploiting vulnerable women for massive profits. We will hold accountable those who profit by exploiting others.”
Following the verdict, prosecutors plan to forfeit over $1.25 million in assets, including seized cash, bank deposits, and life insurance surrender values.
