Mostly targeted in the townships of Smithtown and Huntington, the Suffolk County Police Department has raided at least a dozen illegal massage parlors in 2022 alone.
In one raid on February 4, three women from flushing were arrested and charged with multiple counts of Prostitution and Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a Class E Felony under New York State education law. This raid took place in Huntington at Island Breeze Foot Spa.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, at the current pace, we are on track to double the number of “massage parlor cases.” In 2021, there were 13 defendants arrested in the entire year. To date, there have been 14 arrests.
The most recent raid involved Imperial Foot Care Spa, 205 Terry Road, Smithtown, on June 8.
In that June 8 raid, police arrested Yan Fillion, 61, of Woodside, Queens, who was charged with two counts of Unauthorized Practice of a Profession and two counts of Sex Abuse in the 3rd degree – which implies a nonconsensual act.
The Smithtown Fire Marshal issued 25 violations for fire code and building offenses for the June 8 raid. The Smithtown Building Department Inspector likewise deemed the unit unsafe and closed the business for electrical violations.
“The Suffolk County Police Department and the District Attorney’s office have done outstanding work in what has been an intricate and very extensive investigation,” said Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park). “These illegal operations are breeding grounds for abuse and trafficking. Additionally, these unlicensed massage parlors can cause real physical harm to an unsuspecting individual who may be patronizing the establishment for a legitimate service.”
The fire and building offenses often levied against these criminal enterprises help to underline the subpar and sometimes illegal conditions the ‘masseuses’ are forced to work in. Many times, the victims of these acts are trafficked from overseas. What some may view as victimless acts funds a multibillion-dollar industry that is quite clearly pervasive in Suffolk County.
“The Suffolk County Police Department Fourth Precinct Crime Section is dedicated to combating illegal business operations in the community,” replied a spokesperson for the Suffolk County Police Department. “The recent investigations have been in response, in part, to
community complaints in hamlets throughout the precinct. Additionally, police have continued to work with the Town of Smithtown to ensure businesses with building code, electrical and fire safety violations are brought into compliance in an effort to increase safety for patrons and
adjoining businesses.”
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R, C-Commack) was unable to comment on ongoing litigation or confirm that these were cases initiated by his office or local precincts.
However, he did note that there “has been an increase in” these types of establishments since Covid, prior to his election, while vowing that “they will be prosecuted.”
According to a spokesperson from the District Attorney’s Office, “We have spoken with the police about prioritizing these quality-of-life offenses where neighbors report persistent criminality in their communities and encourage anyone who believes there is such criminal
activity to report it to their local precinct.”
Tierney’s observations are consistent with the United States Department of State, which noted that “global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic” contribute to “further compound existing vulnerabilities to exploitation, including human trafficking.
”What makes these raids atypical is that many of them have resulted in prostitution charges or sex-related charges being brought forth. The burden of proof on these charges is generally much higher, with prostitution requiring that someone is caught in the act or that there is a
sworn witness placing them in the throes of illicit passion. This could indicate a long-term investigation into the facilities under question.
Ordinarily, since proving many crimes related to these establishments is very difficult, investigations focus on the licensing component, which requires police officers to verify if the establishment and the employees are in compliance with New York State Education Law. If a
suspected illegal massage parlor is in compliance with education law, then other options might be utilized to discover if criminal activity is taking place on the premises.
Given how The Messenger obtained the information on these raids, it is likely that they are being carried out on the precinct level.
