Queens man convicted of helping wife run brutal sex trafficking ring

A Queens antheral helped his woman tally a brutal interstate enactment trafficking operation that sent goons to terrorize and brutally bushed women moving for their competitors — and videotape the attacks to intimidate their ain enactment workers to stay loyal, a national assemblage found.

A assemblage convicted Siyang Chen, 35, of enactment trafficking conspiracy, racketeering battle and robbery connected Monday aft a month-long proceedings successful Brooklyn Federal Court.

One of the trafficking ring’s enforcers, Yichu “Ban Ban” Chen, 22, of Queens was besides convicted astatine the trial. He was recovered blameworthy of the robbery and battle of a enactment idiosyncratic successful Virginia.

Yichu Chen

“Siyang tricked his mode into the edifice country of women who worked for different enactment traffickers wherever helium zip tied and violently bushed the women with weapons,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Pak said successful her opening argument. “He besides robbed the women of their cash, cellphones and IDs. And erstwhile helium couldn’t bash it himself, Siyang paid different enforcers to bash the occupation for him.”

The enactment trafficking ringing recruited women from China who lacked ineligible presumption successful the U.S., past sent them from New York to hotels and apartments crossed the state to enactment arsenic prostitutes from 2019 to 2021, according to prosecutors.

Siyang Chen’s wife, Rong Rong Xu, ran the show, portion helium acted arsenic the operation’s manager.

The feds linked much than a twelve assaults crossed the state to the ring’s brutal enforcers, and jurors saw horrific videos of the attacks and heard from a cooperating witnesser who helped present a twelve beatings.

“Siyang traveled crossed the state wherever helium zip tied enactment workers and brutally bushed them with rolling pins and his fists,” Pak said. “Later, Siyang and his woman ordered progressively terrible beatings successful which enforcers utilized hammers to interruption bones. Siyang near a way of bloodied and beaten women crossed the country.”

She added, “They blasted videos and photos of women zip tied, covered successful blood, and turning purple arsenic they were being choked to deter competition, to instill fear, and to nonstop a wide connection to their ain enactment workers: Stay successful enactment oregon other this could beryllium you.”

The enforcer, Yichu Chen, was paid $400 to bushed 1 pistillate with a metallic barroom astatine Siyang Chen’s acquisition and rob her currency and compartment phone.

Siyang Chen’s lawyer, Ethan Van Buren, argued that his lawsuit had already pleaded blameworthy to respective charges successful the case, and admitted to taking portion successful the concern and assaults — but maintained that the beatings were lone meant to combat disconnected their rivals, not to exert power implicit their ain workers.

Van Buren formed Chen’s woman arsenic the mastermind, and said helium was “unfortunately pulled into this world.”

“They were simply trying to support their amerciable business, region competitors, and turn their profits done the means disposable to them. Unfortunately, this is simply a brutal business, and Rong Rong was a ruthless businesswoman,” Van Buren said.

But the assemblage didn’t bargain that explanation.

“The proceedings grounds provided a behind-the-scenes presumption of the horrific machinations of a enactment trafficking enactment successful each its inhumanity and unit motivated by greed,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Tuesday. “This verdict is simply a triumph for justness and for the victims who were subjected to brutal beatings and degrading attraction astatine the hands of the defendants.”

Fourteen different defendants charged successful transportation with the trafficking ring, including Chen’s wife, person pleaded blameworthy and are awaiting sentencing.

Siyang Chen faces up to beingness successful prison, portion Yichu Chen faces up to 20 years erstwhile they’re sentenced astatine a aboriginal date. up to 20 years successful prison.

Originally Published: November 19, 2024 astatine 4:30 PM EST