District Attorney announces major human trafficking operation
September 1, 2023- Yesterday, the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force simultaneously executed search warrants at five (5) massage parlors located in Cumberland County. This operation – OPERATION: Closed2Trafficking – was conducted in conjunction with law enforcement authorities in York and Dauphin Counties. A total of ten (10) massage parlors, across the three (3) counties, were targeted during this operation. OPERATION: Closed2Trafficking was initiated to identify purportedly legitimate ‘Asian’ massage therapy businesses in Cumberland County that are operating as fronts for labor/sex trafficking in violation of Pennsylvania criminal statutes. The investigation into these establishments were in large part initiated after the police received complaints from the public.
Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack commented on OPERATION: Closed2Trafficking,
“We greatly appreciate the members of the community who brought their concerns forward to law enforcement. Unfortunately, human trafficking exists here in Cumberland County and today’s operation is part of our ongoing effort to root out human trafficking and to send a message that Cumberland County is not the place to set up one of these operations. Cumberland County is ‘Closed to Human Trafficking’.” Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack
This operation is part of a yearlong law enforcement investigation into human trafficking in south central Pennsylvania. Over a year ago, District Attorney McCormack announce the formation of a task force to investigate human trafficking in Cumberland County. Since that time, the task force conducted five (5) operations as part of an operation called IMPACT DEMAND. The purpose of those operations was to identify and arrest individuals who patronize labor/sex trafficked individuals. In July of this year, District Attorney McCormack commented, “Since we began these operations targeting sex buyers who drive the demand for commercial sex, we have arrested 45 individuals. Every single dollar that a sex trafficker makes comes out of the wallet of a sex buyer. They are the ones driving sex trafficking by putting money into the hands of the sex traffickers who exploit the women and men trapped in this existence. We are going to continue these operations.”
While publicly conducting Operation Impact Demand, the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force was simultaneously investigating the business side of commercial sexual/labor exploitation (often referred to as human trafficking). Law enforcement investigators developed evidence during the investigation to confirm that individuals were being placed by traffickers into area Asian massage parlors for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts as part of a larger scheme of labor/sex trafficking. Of note, the task force was able to link certain individuals arrested during Operation Impact Demand to various Asian massage parlors targeted in OPERATION: Closed2Trafficking. During yesterday’s searches, even while the police were clearly on sight searching these businesses, officers observed numerous men trying to enter the parking lots of these businesses. “If there is any message that we want to get across it is this, we are not forgetting that the customers are the ones who fuel this industry. ‘We are watching you come and go from these establishments, and we know who you are.’”
The investigation determined that the five massage parlors searched in Cumberland County were linked to one another despite appearing to operate as separate businesses. The following locations were the target of yesterday’s searches in Cumberland County:
• New Healing Hands Spa, 33 Gettysburg Pike, Mechanicsburg (Upper Allen Township).
• 149 Massage, AKA May Spa, 149 South 32nd Street, Camp Hill Borough.
• Lily Spa, 305 Herman Ave., Lemoyne.
• Mary Spa, 3803 Gettysburg Road, Camp Hill (Lower Allen Township).
• JOJO Spa, 5010 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg (Hampden Township).
Min Dong, 54 years old, was arrested and charged by law enforcement authorities with operating a corrupt organization (18 Pa.C.S. § 911) and Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds (18 Pa.C.S. § 5111) among other charges. Significant amounts of cash and other evidence of labor/sex trafficking were found during the searches. District Attorney McCormack indicated that the police are still sorting through evidence seized as part of OPERATION: Closed2Trafficking, and the investigation continues. If anyone has any information concerning this type of illegal activity, you can email us at if@cumberlandcountypa.gov.
As part of this operation, the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force partnered with local community programs dedicated to providing services and opportunities to help victims of labor/sex trafficking to escape their situation. “I want to especially thank all the employees and volunteers of Greenlight Operation, Peace Promise, the YWCA Carlisle & Cumberland County’s Sexual Assault and Anti-Human Trafficking Services, and the Camp Hill Church of Christ. These groups have dedicated themselves to combating human trafficking in Central Pennsylvania through providing outreach services and education to victims of commercial sexual exploitation.” You can learn more about these programs on their websites:
• Greenlight Operation: www.greenlightoperation.org
• Peace Promise: www.peacepromise.org
• YWCA Carlisle & Cumberland County’s Sexual Assault and Anti-Human Trafficking Services: https://ywcacarlisle.org/
• Camp Hill Church of Christ
District Attorney McCormack stressed there is a big difference between the businesses that were the target of the search warrants executed during OPERATION: Closed2Trafficking with legitimate massage therapy businesses. “From their advertising to the way they conduct their business, the Asian massage parlors that are the subject of this investigation clearly separate themselves from the practices of legitimate massage therapy entities. One thing our investigation has highlighted is the need for greater legal regulations to ensure that only legitimate massage therapy businesses are operating in our communities.” McCormack outlined some changes he is advocating for:
“We need legislation to require massage facilities, their managers, and employees to be properly licensed and regulated. Requiring the proper background checks when these entities apply for the licenses that I am advocating for will go a long way towards helping to separate legitimate operating facilities from the criminal enterprises that exploit their workers either through sexual or labor trafficking practices.”
OPERATION: Closed2Trafficking in Cumberland County involved more than 12 Federal, State, and Local Agencies:
U.S. Postal Inspectors
Homeland Security
Camp Hill Police Department
Upper Allen Township Police Department
Lower Allen Township Police Department
Hampden Township Police Department
West Shore Regional Police Department
East Pennsboro Township Police Department
Pennsylvania State Police
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
PA Attorney General’s Office
Pennsylvania Department of State
Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office:
Criminal Investigation Division,
Forensic Investigations Division,
Cumberland County Drug Task Force,
District Attorney’s Victim Services Unit
Note: The above facts are only allegations at this time. Min Dong is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Created Sep 1, 2023 @ 11:08 AM | Updated Sep 7, 2023 @ 3:54 PM
