Police Break Up Alleged Prostitution Ring in Paramus
Investigation nets 36 arrests on prostitution charges
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Three dozen people have been arrested on prostitution-related charges in Bergen County over the past week, county authorities said Monday.
The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and Sheriff's Department worked in concert with 10 municipal police departments in investigation, which netted $60,000 in seized cash.
As part of the sweep, municipalities closed down a number of massage parlors and broke up an alleged prostitution ring operating out of hotels in Paramus, authorities said.
Maria Cistano, 20, of Englewood, and Andrea Papp, 33, of Ridgewood, are accused of running the business in Paramus, authorities said. The prostitution operation paid for the hotel rooms where customers paid for sex.
Cistano was charged with engaging in prostitution and Papp was charged with promoting prostitution. Eleven others served as either escorts or their drivers. They are charged with either engaging, facilitating or promoting prostitution. Police arrested them, along with Papp and Cistano, on Wednesday.
Police also made 23 arrests at 12 massage parlors in Ramsey, Englewood, Bergenfield, Tenafly, Fort Lee, Edgewater and Fairview between Jan. 24 and 29. The full list of those arrested is below. They were all released on their own recognizance.
Arrest Timeline:
Monday
- Where: Stress Reduction Center, 19 Spear Road, Ramsey
- Arrested: Xingji Che, 45, of Palisades Park, charged with engaging in prostitution; Yong Shun An, 50, of Palisades Park, charged with promoting prostitution and maintaining a nuisance.
- Where: Ion Spa, 875 State Route 17, Ramsey
- Arrested: Xin Sin Shen, 42, of Flushing, N.Y.; Shunnu Gong, 39, of Flushing, N.Y., both charged with charged with engaging in prostitution after allegedly soliciting an undercover police officer.
Tuesday
- Where: Aloha Spa, 481 Dean Street, Englewood
- Arrested: Yuji Jin, 50, of Flushing, N.Y., charged with engaging in prostitution; Geebun Kim, 52, of Flushing, N.Y., charged with obstruction of justice after allegedly trying to lock police officers out of the spa.
- Where: Ocean Spa, Washington Avenue, Bergenfield
- Arrested: Xiu J. Yang, 42, of Bergenfield, charged with engaging in prostitution.
- Where: Spring Spa, Portland Street, Bergenfield
- Arrested: Lee S. Youn, 55, of Palisades Park, charged with promoting prostitution and maintaining a nuisance; Xianyu Li, 42, of Palisades Park, charged with engaging in prostitution; Huaxiang Nan, 41, of Flushing, N.Y., charged with engaging in prostitution.
- Where: Seven Spa, South Summit Street, Tenafly
- Arrested: Shuzi Gong, 56, of Palisades Park; Meishu Cai, 45, of Flushing, N.Y., both charged with engaging in prostitution.
Wednesday
- Where: Various hotels, Paramus
- Charged with engaging in prostitution: Maria Cistano, 20, of Englewood; Cynthia Ferraaro, 50, of Garfield; Nicole C. Wright, 23, of Keyport; Mariana E. Caranza, 55, of North Bergen; Liv Melde, 35, of St. Augustine, Fla.; Isamar Jimenz-Hilerio, 22, of Allentown, Pa.; Jessica Soares-Figueiredo, 24, Newark.
- Charged with promoting prostitution: Andrea Papp, 33, of Ridgewood; Austin Vaccaro, 33, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Wiltor J. Maslinski, 24, of Stroudsburg, Pa.
- Charged with facilitating prostitution: Javione J. Lessane, 35, of Hoboken; Kyle D. Akins, 30, of Piscataway; Jeffrey Braswell, 44, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Thursday
- Where: KOA Spa, Lemoine Avenue, Fort Lee
- Arrested: Jina Chung, 49, of Fort Lee, charged with promoting prostitution; Yeong I. Herrin, 55, of Cliffside Park and Ming Shan Lu, 44, of Flushing, N.Y., charged with engaging in prostitution.
- Where: Four Seasons Spa, Main Street, Fort Lee
- Arrested: Ailian Jin, 38, of Little Ferry, charged with engaging in prostitution.
- Where: Aqua Spa, River Road, Edgewater
- Arrested: Meishu Jiang, 41, Palisades Park, charged with engaging in prostitution.
Friday
- Where: World Health Spa, River Road, Edgewater
- Arrested: Jong C. Lee, 61, of Cresskill, charged with promoting prostitution; Chaim Bodner, 55, of Monsey, N.Y., Geumhwa Song, 33, of Flushing, N.Y., Xiangli Sun, 24, of Flushing, N.Y., charged with engaging in prostitution.
- Where: Aroma Therapy, Bergen Boulevard, Fairview
- Arrested: Zhang Qing, 47, of Flushing, N.Y., charged with engaging in prostitution.
- Where: Hudson Therapy, Old River Road, Edgewater
- Arrested: Son Ja Hwa, 48, of Edgewater, charged with engaging in prostitution.
mrsrobinson
7:22 pm on Monday, January 31, 2011
Your tax dollars at work, stalking adult women online and then issuing them a summons to appear after they legally seize all the money these desperate women have made. I am sure they will include giving them fines they can't afford to pay and a criminal record so they will never get a real job again, or be able to rent an apartment.
I did not see any kids being exploited, or anyone in public being a nusiance, and these spa's pay taxes and the wome spend money in YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES and meanwhile the courts will not even offer these women any services to exit the industry. I guess the cops would rather these women become homeless and live on the street.
I think Law enforcement has way too much money in its budget to be policing what consenting adults do in private, and STALK THESE WOMEN ONLINE.
I thought cops where suppose to SERVE & PROTECT. Maybe they should focus on the bodies of the escorts buried in Long Island instead of trying to rid their communites of escorts.