Operators and participants of two alleged Westville brothels had their court cases continued, as their attorney reported that they haven’t decided yet whether to plead guilty.
On his way out of the Elm Street state courthouse after the continuation Tuesday morning, attorney Sung-Ho Hwang (pictured) said negotiations are continuing with the state on the case.
The case stems from July 18 undercover busts that shut down Star Sauna and Orange Sauna on upper Whalley Avenue. Police arrested 12 alleged pimps and prostitutes; they believe the two establishments may have been part of an out-of-state Korean sex ring. (Read about that here.)
Attorney Hwang, who represents several of those arrested, declined to comment on the charges Tuesday. He’s a prominent lawyer in town: an officer of the New Haven County Bar Association, past president of the New Haven Young Lawyers, director and legal counsel of the Korean American Society of Connecticut, and holder of various titles at the American Immigration Lawyers Association Connecticut Bar Association.
He said his clients haven’t yet decided on a plea, pending the outcome of his discussions with the state’s attorney’s office.
A man sitting by the base of one of the marble columns on the courthouse steps was surprised to hear about the busts — and a bit disappointed.
“They’ve been there a long time,” the man said of the two massage parlors. He said he hadn’t personally visited. “I heard it was good, you know what I mean? Wow! I tell you, man, they messed up a good thing.”
Meanwhile, police continue investigating the case, looking into whether the New Haven parlors were part of an out-of-state prostitution ring. The New Haven businesses appeared to have similarities to Korean-American-run brothels closed in Wallingford and Cheshire. The people arrested in New Haven gave addresses ranging from Flushing, N.Y., to Denver and Honolulu.
After previous reports, Independent readers wondered how the department chose the undercover informant to purchase sex at the brothels, and why the operation took three months.
That was because the cops weren’t looking just to arrest prostitutes, but to track the money and higher-up operatives in the business, Lt. John Velleca said Tuesday. Velleca heads the department’s tactical narcotics unit, which oversaw the investigation that led to the arrests. Investigators had the Whalley Avenue brothels under surveillance for months, he said. They tailed people who left the “saunas,” trying to determine “who’s a patron” and who handled money or otherwise helped run the businesses.
As for the undercover operative, the unit chose someone who had previously made undercover buys in drug cases. A “senior detective” in the unit chose his “longest-serving informant” for the job, someone whose information always proved reliable and who was willing to testify in open court.
The two businesses have remained closed since the arrests, Velleca reported.
“You need an informant who has worked with you many times before, who you trust,” Velleca said.
So its 12 prostitutes and pimps now. What happened to the 5 customers in the last report? This is one big cover up. Who were the customers? New Havens rich and famous? Senior Cops? I hope this goes to court with not guilty pleas. It will be really interesting to learn who the customers over the last three months. When do we get the photos, Paul? Be fair. You did it to the poor in Fair Haven