BOTHELL, Wash. — Five Bothell massage parlors are closed while police conduct a prostitution and human trafficking investigation.
KIRO 7 spoke to the couple behind two of the parlors, who claim everything they do is legal.
Bothell police said they had the fire department help shut the parlors down, placing stop-work notices that cite unsafe conditions in the buildings, like broken smoke detectors or faulty electrical work.
Investigators, though, are after much more serious crimes.
Li Wiezuo told KIRO 7 the claims of prostitution and trafficking are unfounded.
“You can go inside to check,” he said when asked about the allegations.
Li said his wife, Lizhen Yang, owns two of the massage parlors that were shut down during the bust.
KIRO 7 verified that Lizhen is listed as the registered agent for one of the parlors with the Washington Secretary of State. She also appears on the King County inmate roster; released after being booked for investigation of human trafficking and promoting prostitution. She was present during her husband’s interview.
“We are always tender with people,” Li said. “We like to make friends with people.”
One of Lizhen’s massage parlors, Oriental Lotus Spa, is feet away from Bothell police headquarters. The other is a few blocks away, across the street from a church. She and her husband deny any wrongdoing.
“If you want to find or arrest any real criminal, or any human trafficking or any prostitution, you can go to Epstein Island,” Li said.
“It is an ongoing investigation,” said Mike Johnson, captain of investigations at the Bothell Police Department. “It is somewhat complex, so we are going to follow every lead that we can.”
Johnson told KIRO 7 he could not discuss the specifics of the case, but said there were multiple arrests, multiple potential victims of human trafficking and charges incoming.
“We don’t want to tip our hand on any of that stuff yet,” he said.
Johnson said the fire department notices mostly concern electrical work to convert parts of the massage parlors into residences, a claim Li also denies.
“The bed. The ladies have, you know, they need rest,” Li said of the workers.
Johnson would not say whether all five of the massage parlors are connected. All five are in Downtown Bothell. The investigation reportedly started after complaints from the community.
“[A] small, tiny, tender lady do human trafficking? Ridiculous,” Li said of his wife.
KIRO 7 reached back out to Bothell police about the status of Lizhen and her business after speaking with Li. Johnson said he would look into it.
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