Brothel ringleader sentenced to 3 years

The leader of what prosecutors describe as the largest ring of brothels ever uncovered in Orange County was sentenced to three years in state prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to pimping.

Jian Shi’s day in court came just one month after two associates, including a licensed acupuncturist, pleaded guilty and were also sentenced to prison terms.

Shi, 50, of Montebello, was accused of operating an enterprise in which he offered Chinese nationals as prostitutes from 10 locations in several cities advertised as massage parlors and acupuncture clinics.

The group operated from businesses including G&G; Acupuncture Office, Guo’s Acupuncture Therapy Clinic and Luo Luo’s Acupuncture Therapy Clinic, all in Anaheim. Between April 2004 and March 2007, they also operated from locations in Dana Point, Orange, Rancho Mirage and Tustin. Although the business names gave the impression that they were acupuncture clinics, they drew customers with newspaper advertisements offering “Beautiful girls” and “Young Chinese ladies,” Orange County prosecutors charged.

“The outsides of the places were not attractive for people who would want legitimate therapeutic services,” said Susan Kang Schroeder, public affairs counsel for the district attorney. “They were advertised in the sports section of newspapers with very provocative pictures. They were not marketed to attract spa-type customers.”

The women, the district attorney alleged, were Chinese nationals who, in a two-month period, bought 7,500 square feet of Kirkland plastic food wrap and 294 ounces of Vaseline to use in place of condoms and lubricant. No medical or acupuncture tools were found at any of the locations, law enforcement officials said.

In September, Hong Jun Bai, 43, of Rowland Heights pleaded guilty to selling a person for illicit use and was sentenced to 16 months in state prison. Guo Hua Chen, 56, of Monterey Park, who authorities say used his acupuncture license to legitimize the brothels, pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to commit pimping and was sentenced to six months in jail.

John Couch, 46, and his wife, Yu Mei Cheng-Couch, 39, both of San Clemente, are charged with conspiring to commit pimping and keeping a house of ill fame. John Couch is also charged with a felony for illegally possessing a firearm.

Both face up to six years in prison if convicted.

Xueyan Yu, 49, Huntington Beach is also charged with keeping a house of ill fame and, if convicted, could be sentenced to a year in jail.

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jennifer.delson@latimes.com