'Angel Eyes' and 'Devil' Bodies: A Look Into The Human Trafficking, Prostitution Investigations in Washington Massage Parlors
Columbia River Drug Task Force lays out its surveillance and investigation of the parlors in an affidavit of probable cause filed in February 2023
Trigger warning: This article includes descriptions of sexual acts and references to human trafficking that may be upsetting to some. Reader discretion is advised.
On Feb. 28, 2023, Detective Nick English filed an affidavit for probable cause with the Superior Court of Chelan County to obtain warrants so the Columbia River Drug Task Force could raid two Wenatchee-based massage parlors believed to be engaging in prostitution, human trafficking, and money laundering.
The task force had been investigating the two parlors, one located at 412 N. Mission Street and the other located at 328 N. Mission Street, since August 2022.
The investigation was kicked off after the owner of a neighboring business contacted law enforcement because she believed one of the businesses was “participating in prostitution.”
After looking into the business online, Detective English found some red flags. An ad he found on “adultsearch.com” relating to the 412 N. Mission Street location advertised the physical measurements of the alleged massage therapists as well as their “baby skin and big doll eye. Angel face and devil body.”
The ad also featured some of the services available, which included showering together, “deep-throat” and “G.F.E. open-minded,” which stands for “girlfriend experience.”
The fact that the business was “cash only” was a red flag.
“Cash only is common with criminal enterprises, including prostitution,” English wrote. “Having a cash only business helps avoid detection from the IRS, and lowers your taxes.”
English interviewed the tipster, who described an instance on July 27, 2022 in which she was working with a client in her business that shared a wall with Lin Massage. The two women heard what sounded like a man’s “organismic moan” coming through the wall.
English and another detective also interviewed the client, who confirmed she also remembered hearing what sounded like a male orgasm coming through the wall that day. At the time and prior to contacting the police, the tipster actually went to Robinn Althea of A&M Properties, the manager of the property, and described what happened.
According to the affidavit, Althea then called called the Asian man who was the renter of the property and told him he “better get his act together.”
Minutes later the man pulled into the parking lot “at a high rate of speed” and started a construction project the tipster believed was meant to soundproof the wall shared by the two businesses.
On Aug. 3, 2022, the tipster texted Detective English a photo of the vehicle the Asian male was driving as well as the license plate number and he was able to identify the man as Linhui Yan, who has a mailing address in Tacoma and was arrested for two counts of “letting premises for prostitution” in Louisiana in 2019.
After identifying Yan, English discovered that there were multiple other massage parlors in Washington associated with him. Most were named variations of either “Lin’s Massage” or “Angel Massage.”
So the task force set up a camera to surveil who was coming in and out of the location at 412 N. Mission, and agents began to go undercover posing as patrons at the two Wenatchee locations. Detectives also traveled to Kennewick to go undercover at another massage parlor associated with Yan.
At all three locations on four different occasions, the agents were offered sexual favors in exchange for cash by four different women posing as massage therapists.
In the course of their investigation, English contacted the owners of the two Wenatchee-based massage parlors, former Wenatchee mayor Dennis Johnson and local businesswoman Linda Sasseen.
Both told English that their tenants have been paying rent mostly in cash, although the first month’s rent for both locations were paid by checks from the same account.
According to Det. Engish, Sasseen described a few red flags she saw when inspecting her property, including signs that people were living on the premises despite being instructed that was not allowed.
According to English, it’s common for the owners of front businesses for prostitution and human trafficking to house the victims on site and move them often, thus reducing overhead and the likelihood investigators will catch wind of what’s going on and the victims forming relationships with locals.
Sasseen also brought up the fact that she saw a poster of a nude Marilyn Monroe above one of the massage beds in the space she was renting to Yan. She also mentioned Yan wanted to keep a non-working bathtub she had planned on removing from the space, and even offered to fix it at his own expense.
According to Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison, the video footage collected in the course of conducting surveillance on the Wenatchee locations show men entering and exiting the massage parlors at all hours of the day and night. He said some of these men “may be known to the community.”
Morrison said when he was informed of this fact by detectives during a briefing, he instructed them to follow the investigation wherever it led regardless of the social status of any of the men, commonly referred to as “Johns,” who were patronizing the businesses.
I’m putting in a public records request for the video footage as well as any other records or list of Johns and will write a follow-up piece on that depending on what I get back from the authorities.
When detectives arrived to raid the two Wenatchee parlors this week, they found both empty and as yet no arrests have been made in this case.
If you have any information about Linhui Yan or Yan Yang, the two suspects wanted in this case, please contact the Columbia River Drug Task Force through Rivercom’s non-emergency line at (509) 663-9911.
Supporting subscribers can access a full copy of the affidavit of probable cause below the paywall. The names of the witnesses have been redacted.