Married Couple Accused Of Operating A Sex Worker Business From Massage Parlor

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — About a year—long investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Pinellas County police agencies uncovered an alleged prostitution ring in Lutz that had been operated out of a massage parlor, Sheriff Chad Chronister said.

Owners James Robert Smith and his wife, Nan Chen Smith, are accused of running an illegal prostitution ring at Simply Massage. Twelve massage parlors were linked to the couple in recent years, authorities said. During the investigation, detectives found evidence that the couple and their business associates laundered more than $1 million into their bank accounts. More than $750,000 between cash and vehicles was discovered by deputies, investigators said.

Search warrants were issued on the Smiths' home, a storage unit and the 12 massage parlors by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, St. Petersburg Police Department and Largo Police Department Oct. 27, Chronister said.

"If not stopped by Operation Shared Hope, this criminal organization had immediate plans to expand with the addition of two more parlors in Tampa Bay," Chronister said. "We know most of these women are being trafficked. We can only hope and pray that they will come forward so we can get them the help and resources to rescue them from this horrific cycle."

Seven people were arrested, including the Smiths, on multiple charges that included money laundering and operating a place for prostitution.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the suspects listed below face the following charges:

• -Money Structuring over $300 but less than $20,000
• -Money Structuring over $20,000 but less than $100.000
• -Money Structuring over $100,000 (X2)
• -Money Laundering over $100,000 (X4)
• Conspiracy to commit Money Laundering
• Unlawful use of Two Way Communications Device
• Deriving Support from Proceeds of Prostitution
• Operating a Place for Lewdness, Assignation or Prostitution
• Rico Violation
• Rico Conspiracy

• Money structuring over $20,000 but less than $100,000
• Money laundering over $100,000
• Money laundering over $20,000 but less than $100,000
• Deriving support from proceeds of prostitution
• Operating a place for prostitution
• Rico violation
• Rico conspiracy

Min Soon Rockwood

DOB: 03/21/1962

Charges:

• Deriving support from proceeds of prostitution
• Operating a place for prostitution
• Rico violation
• Rico conspiracy

Wei Cheng

DOB:12/21/1977

Charges:

• Money laundering over $300 but less than $20,000
• Rico conspiracy

Lin Wang

DOB:11/30/1984

Charges:

• Money laundering over $300 but less than $20,000 (X2)
• Unlawful use of two way communications device
• Rico conspiracy

Tingbo Zhang

DOB: 01/08/1972

Charges:

• Money laundering over $300 but less than $20,000
• Rico conspiracy

Mugshots and more information is on the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office page.