Prosecutors have charged three people with running a high-end brothel network in Boston and northern Virginia, whose customers included elected officials.
Other clientele included tech and pharmaceutical executives, lawyers, professors and military officers, though federal prosecutors did not identify any of them.
Prosecutors say they paid up to $600 per hour for sexual encounters with predominately Asian women who were being exploited through sex trafficking.
Acting U.S. Attorney Josh Levy announced charges against the brothels' alleged operators, Han Lee, 41, and Junmyung Lee, 30, of Massachusetts and James Lee, 68, of California.
As well as locations in Massachusetts, Virginia and California being raided, the government have also seized two websites tied to the ring.
Acting U.S. Attorney Josh Levy, seen here, announced charges against the brothels' alleged operators
Speaking at a press conference, Levy said: 'This commercial sex ring was built on secrecy and exclusivity, catering to wealthy and well-connected clientele.
'They are doctors, they are lawyers, they're accountants, they are executives at high-tech companies, pharmaceutical companies, they're military officers, government contractors, professors, scientists.
'Pick a profession, they're probably represented in this case. Business is booming, until today.'
Levy continued: 'We're committed to working closely with our federal, state and local partners to hold accountable the people who both ran this ring and the people who fueled the demand for this ring.'
The three defendants, who are not related, were all arrested on Wednesday and charged with conspiring to coerce and entice women to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to charging documents, the defendants, led by Han Lee, used high-end apartment complexes as brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, and Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia.
In an affidavit, it says that the women were advertised for commercial sex via two websites, under the guise of professional nude photo shoots.
The affidavit also shows a text message sent from a phone related to the operation in Massachusetts which includes a 'menu'.
Police stand guard outside the federal courthouse in Boston. The three defendants, who are not related, were all arrested on Wednesday
The affidavit also shows a text message sent from a phone related to the operation in Massachusetts which includes a 'menu'
One of the sites seen here, which was aimed at the Massachusetts area, asked customers to not 'knock on the door'
According to the document, the 'menu' listed sexual services available, the hourly rate and the women available.
The affidavit states that the term 'BB' is a term used in the prostitution industry to refer to unsafe sex, and that 'GFE' relates to a 'Girlfriend Experience'.
The document states that this involves a service that 'blurs the boundaries between a financial transaction and a romantic relationship'.
One of the websites was focused on the Boston area, and directed customers to numerous addresses, while another was aimed at areas in Virginia.
On the Boston website, the opening page shows a photograph of an Asian woman, with text saying: 'Here to serve our wonderful Boston friends. Your character is in your writing.
According to an affidavit, the ring operated three different locations outside of this apartment building in Cambridge, Massachusetts
In a similar fashion, the group are also said to have operated a unit inside this apartment building in Watertown, Massachusetts
'Please Don’t Knock on the Door!! Be on time [sic] can’t guarantee your wasted time.'
The site also adds the height, weight and bust size of multiple Asian women who are available for appointments.
The affidavit states that the women available on the site was updated and changed frequently.
The group are said to have had three apartments inside one building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well another one in Watertown.
In Virginia, the ring is said to have operated out of two apartment buildings in the towns of Fairfax, and Tysons.
In 2017, a married couple from Boston were charged with operating a human trafficking and prostitution ring.
Yuet Chow and her husband Kim Chow were arraigned on charges of deriving support from prostitution, keeping a house of prostitution and human trafficking. Both pleaded not guilty to the counts.
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