LUBBOCK, Texas — Shaoping Wen, 64, and Xu Wang, 41, a mother and son duo who ran massage parlors in Lubbock and Eastern New Mexico that were caught offering sexual services, are now facing new federal charges.
Wen and Wang were initially only charged with conspiracy to use interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises. They are now facing 15 charges, including money laundering and use of interstate travel to engage in prostitution.
EverythingLubbock.com previously reported there were a total of eight massage parlors, three of which were in the Lubbock area. The rest were in New Mexico, with two in Carlsbad, two in Roswell and one parlor in Clovis.
After a concerned citizen reported potential human trafficking at a parlor in the Lubbock area, authorities started undercover operations. Court documents said the women who worked at the parlors were Chinese citizens. They were flown into the country to New York or California, then to Roswell. The women were taken straight from the airports to the massage parlors, and typically never left the business, according to court documents.
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A Lubbock massage parlor was busted by the Lubbock Police Department in 2023. Officers found beds on the floor, and a surveillance system to watch the women. The women were arrested and taken to jail. After posting bond, Wen took them back to the parlor.
According to federal court documents, Wen purchased chip credits from a casino in California, where she was accused of laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars. Court records documented this happening multiple times from May of 2023 to December of 2023.
Wen and Wang were ordered to forfeit $1,771,360 if they are convicted. As of Monday, they both remained in federal custody.