NCAST

Massage parlor prostitution is where human trafficking happens in Las Vegas

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Massage parlor prostitution is where human trafficking happens in Las Vegas

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
July 26, 2010

Most taxi drivers will tell you that the majority of local massage parlors are fronts for prostitution. Many parlors offer male patrons what is called a "Happy Ending," or in some cases a "Full Girlfriend Experience" for an extra fee. These specialties are not taught in accredited massage therapy schools.

There are those who suspect certain Strip hotel and casino owners actually condone the nearby massage parlors and escort services that supply a quick release to male casino patrons. The alternative is a five or six hour round trip to Nye County where prostitution is legal.

Casino insiders tell INSIDE VEGAS that trips to Nye County take gamblers away from the tables for too long, so quickies with escorts or Asian masseuses are tolerated in the hotels or just down the street in our town's neighborhood shopping centers.

This may be the reason that Clark County District Attorney David Roger has joined with the NBMT commissioners in ignoring the problem. The commissioners are appointed by the governor. The governor and DA solicit campaign contributions from the casino owners who don't like it when their gamblers lollygag for half the night and spend thousands at Sheri's, or the Chicken Ranch sixty miles away.

For many years Nevada Board of Massage Therapy board members: Billie Shea (Chairman) Reno; Michelle Viesselman (Vice Chairman) Las Vegas; Robin Graber (Secretary/Treasurer) Reno; Joe Cracraft (Board Member) Las Vegas; Michael Smith (Board Member) Las Vegas; Tree Allemang (Board Member) Reno; Kathleen Pilgreen (Board Member) Las Vegas; Sergeant Lenny Lorusso (Advisory Member) C/O Las Vegas Metro PD, have ignored out of control prostitution and human sex slave trafficking occurring in our neighborhood massage parlors.

Massage parlor prostitution is where human trafficking happens in Las Vegas

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
July 26, 2010

The massage parlors that are fronts for prostitution pay cabbies up to $90 per passenger delivered, so many cabbies go out of their way to protect the identity and location of the most cabbie friendly parlors, a number of which are located along Sahara Ave. in the city of Las Vegas, or along Spring Mountain Road in China Town.

Taxpayers are supporting a state agency that is supposed to be regulating an industry, but instead, regulators turn their backs on massage parlor "Happy Endings," and "Full Girlfriend Experiences" for sale in Las Vegas neighborhoods adjacent to some massage parlors.

Just think of how embarrassing it is to be a legitimate massage therapist in Las Vegas when you must compete with prostitutes to try to make a living?

When I go on vacation, I look forward to getting a professional massage in my hotel's spa. I couldn't care less what the female masseuse looks like, or if she's "Friendly and Discrete," "Classy," "Loving," "Sweet," or "Charming," I just want a relaxing massage for an hour or so.

On Wednesday, July 21, the Las Vegas City Council led by Ward One Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian (left) sent a clear message to the Nevada Board of Massage Therapy; "Start doing your job!" when the council voted unanimously to revoke the business license of the Oriental Angels massage parlor and fine its owner Jinli Ran $50,000. The council also hopefully sent a message to many other Oriental Angels-type businesses: "You may be next!" There are still over fifty neighborhood massage parlors operating in the greater Las Vegas area, and many are suspected of being clones of Oriental Angels.

Even more responsible for this tragedy are the board's well paid staff members; Lisa O. Cooper, Executive Director; and Rebecca Wagoner, the Field Inspector in Reno, and Lynette Carpenter, Office Manager; Julie Root, Administrative Assistant I; and Jatasha Millikin, the Field Inspector in Las Vegas.

What are they being paid to do? What exactly are the duties of Field Inspectors Wagoner and Millikin? Inspecting fields?

Wagoner and Millikin must be aware of the twenty pages of purported massage parlor advertisements in the Yellow Pages. If they aren't, then they live on another planet!

Each of these ads cost thousands of dollars per month, and CenturyLink requires a one year contract. It's unimaginable that humble state licensed masseuses can afford this expense.

These TV news stories (videos included) are a clear result of the Nevada Board of Massage Therapy's negligence:

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/24343085/detail.html#

http://www.mynews3.com/story.php?id=23529&n=5035

And if Wagoner and Millikin need more proof, they should watch this video of the LV City Council hearing that shut down Oriental Angels:

Go to:
http://www5.lasvegasnevada.gov/sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&itemid=40820

Slide the dial to 2:14:30. At this time in the hearing, Jinli Ran states she fired "massage therapist" Zhao Fu after she was arrested for soliciting prostitution. Ran then explains that she bailed Fu out, and rehired her after other massage parlors would not employ Fu because they want "younger, skinnier masseuses."

Ran then tells the council that Fu was arrested again at Oriental Angels, and again she bailed her out.

Ran also explains that she requires each "therapist" to deposit $2,000 with her in case they are arrested, and that they must agree to forfeit the money if they violate Oriental Angels' supposed rules that forbid prostitution.

After hearing this questionably legal requirement, the council had heard enough and voted unanimously to revoke Ran's business license at her Oriental Angels parlor only, and fine her $50,000.

Ran still owns and runs three other massage parlors located near the intersection of Sahara Ave. and Paradise Rd. within the city limits in the ward of Mayor ProTem Gary Reese (left). There have also been numerous arrests for prostitution at these parlors.

Shangri La Health Clinic; four prostitution arrests were made between 2006 and 2009; Asian Garden; four prostitution arrests were made between 2007 and 2010; and Desert Paradise 430 East Sahara Avenue; one prostitution arrest was made in 2009.

Ran's operations comprise only a fraction of similar businesses in Clark County that are still allowed to operate without Nevada Board of Massage Therapy licenses for their employees.

In 2007, I interviewed Lisa Cooper who is the Executive Director of the NBMT while she was attending a UNLV forum on the sex industry.

Upon being asked why her agency does not police neighborhood massage parlors, Cooper nervously explained to me and Dr. Melissa Farley that the "massage therapists" employed at the dozens of neighborhood parlors do not need Nevada state certificates as long as they have a certificate of completion from a massage school in Los Angeles.

I told her that all massage therapists working in Strip hotel spas are required to have their Nevada Board of Massage Therapy license on public display, and asked what is the difference between a spa in a hotel and a spa in a neighborhood shopping center where display of each Nevada state license is not required?

Ms. Cooper refused to answer the question, and ended the interview.

At this time in history, Las Vegas deserves better.

For the full article, go to http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vegas/7-26-10_Inside_Vegas.html