CHARDON — A bond setting hearing was delayed several hours Friday for four women of Asian descent arrested Wednesday as Geauga County sheriff’s deputies raided and closed the Silver Spa massage parlor. The suspected brothel business was located at 8386 Mayfield Road, Chester Township.
The four defendants, Ying Yu Song, Ming Yu Li, Cha Yi Kim, and Guishun Juang, have remained in Geauga County jail since the raid. Addresses of the women were not readily available from the court records.
Friday’s video taped hearing linking the jail to Chardon Municipal Court was scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. An interpreter was brought in by Geauga County Prosecutor David Joyce’s office to the jail during the previous questioning of the women and for the arraignment hearing.
Chardon Municipal Court Prosecutor James Gillette said the hearing finally began around 6 p.m. with Judge Mark Hassett due to delays at the jail and breaking the language barrier problems. The four women, all employed at the spa, reportedly did not speak English.
Song, Li, and Kim were charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, second-degree felonies. Jiang is charged with prostitution, a third-degree misdemeanor. Hassett set a $250,000 bond on each of the women. All four defendants remain in jail until a preliminary hearing is held Sept. 9 with Judge Hassett.
Gillette said the high bond was set to avert any flight problems and to protect the defendants. Assistant police prosecutor Joseph Weiss represented the state in the proceedings.
The court was expected to appoint Geauga County Public Defender Robert Umholz’s office to represent the women, according to Gillette.
“Three of the women were from Flushing, New York I was informed. I do not have any exact addresses,” Gillette added.
The raid and boarding up of the suspected brothel operation had been planned for several months. Covert surveillance was conducted by the prosecutor’s office investigator, Karen Sweet. Messages left for Joyce and Sweet on Friday were not returned to the Star Beacon.
Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland on Thursday said the investigation is ongoing. More arrests and charges may result, he said. Chester Township police were in on the raid with at least a dozen deputies.
McClelland said on Tuesday, the day before the raid, sheriff’s deputies made traffic stops on seven male customers seen leaving the spa premises. The men were questioned if more than massage services were given at the spa, the sheriff said. None of the men were detained it appears.
In the temporary restraining order signed by Common Pleas Judge David Fuhry, a number of defendants names were listed. The names include BC Oasis LLC, believed to be the name of the spa operators, along with David A. Gott, Bokyung Min, Song Cha Shelton, three Jane Does, Alfonso Marra, Joanne Marra, and Adam Marra plus unnamed officers, other employees or agents of the business.
According to McClelland, the spa parlor opened in June 2006. It had attracted the notice of local and county law enforcement authorities since its opening.
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High bonds set for four arrested during spa raid
Three charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity — one with prostitution
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