Concord Couple Accused In Sex Ring Jailed 'Indefinitely'

PORTLAND, ME — A Concord couple accused of running a prostitution ring with dozens of Chinese women were ordered detained "indefinitely" this week. Shou Chao Li and Derong Miao, both 37, appeared in federal court in Maine Tuesday, according to Maine Public Radio. A judge ruled they were a flight risk and ordered their detention as their case proceeds, the news station reported.

Li and Miao pleaded not guilty to a host of charges, including sex trafficking and conspiracy. They face up to life in prison and $250,000 in fines.

Authorities said the couple, who are married and were born in China, lured Chinese women to travel to the U.S. then pimped out them out at residences, hotels and motels across New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. In New Hampshire, the couple rented rooms at Portsmouth's Motel 6 and Best Western; the Microtel in Dover; and two residences in Manchester, prosecutors claimed.

The couple started the scheme in July 2016, according to Maine U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank. They used the Chinese messaging app WeChat to contact the women and promised they would earn "hundreds" of dollars a day working as prostitutes across Northern New England, prosecutors claimed.

"This inaccurate and inflated figure did not incorporate operating costs and payments that were expected to be made to the (Li and Miao) ... for their roles in facilitating the prostitution," prosecutors wrote in court documents.

The couple advertised the prostitutes on Backpage.com and rented rooms across the region for encounters with clients, prosecutors said. The couple "deprived (the prostitutes) of documents, food, clothing, room keys and other things to ensure they were unable to leave such locations," prosecutors wrote.

A prosecutor told Maine Public Radio more individuals could be charged in connection with the case.

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