Judge grants massage parlor sale in Cranberry
Following a hearing Wednesday in Butler County Court, the sale of a building allegedly used for prostitution in Cranberry Township will be completed, but the proceeds will remain under the court's jurisdiction.
Judge William Shaffer granted an agreement by the prosecution and the parties for the sale of 81 Dutilh Road, Cranberry Township, to Lightning Creek Holdings for $469,000. The court had temporarily halted the sale.
Proceeds of the sale will then be used to pay a lien and brokerage fees, and the remaining funds will be held in escrow by the court, Shaffer ruled.
Assistant District Attorney Ben Simon said those funds are being held because they may still be subject to asset forfeiture, which will be litigated in the future.
The Butler County District Attorney's Office previously filed a request to keep the owners from selling the property before forfeiture proceedings could be held. The property was the site of Ailian Chen Chinese Foot Massage, which was raided by Cranberry Township police after an investigation into alleged prostitution incidents at the location between 2015 and June 2017.
That investigation led to felony conspiracy in a corrupt organization, conspiracy to promote prostitution and other charges against Di Xu, 41; Ailian Chen, 65; and Jing Wang, 45; all of Cranberry Township; and Oliver J. Price III, 75, of Bakerstown.The building is owned by East and West Property LLC, which is run by Xu and her husband, Kevin Kinzler, as well as Price and Chen, who are husband and wife, according to court paperwork.Kinzler has not been charged criminally in connection with this case.District Attorney Richard Goldinger previously said his office filed the request to keep the defendants from receiving the proceeds of the sale, since it is alleged they were running a criminal enterprise on the property.Shaffer will issue a ruling later on the addition of a new charge against all four defendants: corrupt organizations.Attorneys for all four defendants, John Haller, Nicole Nino, Anthony Bittner and Steven Townsend, objected to the additional charge.
Townsend called it “late in the game” and Bittner said the charge was not subjected to a preliminary hearing, as the previous charges were.Simon argued that all the continuances in the case have been filed by the defendants, and the case is still under investigation as financial records are received and reviewed.Also, the state version of money laundering — dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity — might be added later, which would entitle the defendants to a new preliminary hearing, Simon said.The investigation began after numerous complaints and observations were reported of suspicious behavior at the establishment. An undercover officer infiltrated the business on June 2, when police said Wang solicited him for sexual acts. On July 29 a second undercover officer entered the parlor and was greeted by Di Xu, who allegedly offered to perform sexual acts for a tip. The final sting was in August, during which Xu allegedly propositioned another officer, police said.
A search warrant was then executed at the business, where police said several long-barreled rifles as well as a myriad of sexual paraphernalia, including provocative clothing and sex toys were discovered.Simon's initial motion for relief states that police seized all massage tables, firearms, and other items that are alleged to have been used in the illegal acts as well as more than $100,000 in cash, proceeds received from the alleged sexual acts. The commonwealth intends to move forward with forfeiture proceedings on the seized cash.Xu and Wang are free after posting bail and Chen remains held on $50,000 bail. Price is free on unsecured bail. All are currently awaiting further criminal court proceedings.
