Four owners of massage businesses in Rockville are facing prostitution charges, according to Montgomery County Police.
Authorities say the charges come following an investigation into alleged prostitution brothels operating in Montgomery County under the guise of acupressure and massage establishments. Police cited citizen complaints about the businesses, and a large increase in the number of acupressure and massage parlor advertisements in the adult section of internet sites.
The investigation revealed that several businesses were using illegal fronts for human trafficking, according to police. While wiretapping is normally prohibited in Maryland, police said detectives were able to use a new Maryland law that allows an exception for human trafficking cases.
The four owners charged are listed below:
Mauricio Alex Garcia Guardia, 31, of the 14000 block of Westbury Drive in Rockville, charged with conducting prostitution and human trafficking, currently has a warrant for his arrest
Operates: Executive Body Work, 966 Hungerford Drive, Suite 14A, Rockville
Howard Hao Wang, 48, of the 19100 block of Forest Brook Road, Germantown, charged with human trafficking and conducting prostitution
Operates: Tropical Spa, 620 Hungerford Drive, Suite 16, Rockville; Best Massage- 966 Hungerford Dr, Suite 11A, Rockville
Roberto Carrasco, 47, of the 1500 block of North Pierce St., Arlington, Virginia, charged with conducting prostitution
Operates: Pink Spa, 932 Hungerford Drive, Suite 12A, Rockville
Feng Liu, 46, of the 100 block of Orchard Drive, Gaithersburg, charged with human trafficking and conducting prostitution
Operates: Ya Ya Spa, 751 Rockville Pike, Suite 1B, Rockville
Anyone with information regarding illegal activity at these or other businesses is asked to call (240) 773-5958.
