Susan Ling Lee, 53, of Ft. Lauderdale, is being held in the Paul Rein Detention Facility, aka Broward County Jail in Pompano Beach, on a $275,000 bond after she was arrested for allegedly acting as a madam at a massage parlor that was a front for prostitution.
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Lee allegedly laundered $100,000 from the parlor. According to Broward County Assistant State Attorney Eric Linder, Lee also ran multiple parlors offering similar services.
According to the arrest affidavit, the Broward Sheriff’s Office investigation began after an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip from a prospective customer at Far East Massage, located at 4620 W. Commercial Blvd. in Tamarac.
The man wanted just a massage but was turned away. The man reported that when he went to get a massage at the establishment, a woman greeted him wearing nothing but a bra and underwear, took him to a room, and asked him “how long he wanted the massage for” and was informed of the price, including a tip, the affidavit states.
Deputies wrote in the affidavit that the customer told the woman that he only wanted a massage, didn’t want any “extras” and would tip at the end.
The woman then “turned away” the customer and told him, “He should find another massage place that offered massages,” the report states.
That brazen attitude got the ball rolling on this investigation. Ms. Lee felt she could do as she pleased. Just a reminder, this is not Las Vegas, and prostitution is not legal here.
Much of the remainder of the affidavit was redacted. Still, detectives wrote that Ms. Lee had deposited $569,406.81 into multiple bank accounts over two years, a dollar amount “inconsistent” with state wage and hour records.
Deputies arrested Ms. Lee at a Fort Lauderdale apartment complex without incident.
In court on Wednesday, Broward County Assistant State Attorney Eric Linder said Lee operated several massage parlors in the area. Linder alleged that Lee was involved with money laundering and possibly human trafficking and had been convicted of similar charges in New York in 2015.
Lee was charged with deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution and money laundering of $100,000 or more. She was held in the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach on a $275,000 bond. According to the Broward County jail website, she was ordered to surrender her passport and ordered not to contact any potential witnesses or employees.
For Ms. Lee to even post bail, she must submit evidence in a Nebbia hearing. A Nebbia hearing, also known as a bail source hearing, is a court procedure during which you must disclose the source of funds used to acquire the assets you are posting for bail. You may be released if you convince the court that those assets were obtained with legitimate funds.
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If released from jail, Lee must wear a GPS ankle monitor.
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