An Soon Kim Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 41 Months in Prison for Sex Trafficking Offenses
The Last of 23 Defendants Convicted in a Crackdown on Sex Trafficking

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that AN SOON KIM was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 41 months in prison for conspiring to transport women across state lines to engage in prostitution, and for aiding and abetting the transportation of a woman across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. KIM owned brothels in Stamford, Connecticut and Washington, D.C., and was convicted by a jury in June 2011 after a four-day trial. U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote presided over the trial and imposed today’s sentence.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: “An Soon Kim made her livelihood sexually exploiting women for profit. When her criminal activity was exposed, Kim evaded arrest to escape punishment. Today’s sentence ensures Kim will pay for her crimes and makes clear to others engaging in sex trafficking that they will not go unpunished, regardless of how long it takes.”

According to the evidence presented at trial and other documents and proceedings in this case:

KIM was charged in 2006 along with more than 20 prostitution business owners and managers for operating and participating in an international prostitution ring. She evaded capture until January 2011 after her story appeared on an episode of America’s Most Wanted that focused on human trafficking. The criminal operation, with which she was involved, placed Korean women at various prostitution businesses located throughout the Northeastern United States. KIM owned “Oriental,” a/k/a the “New Swedish Spa,” in Stamford, Connecticut, and “Oriental” in Washington, D.C.

KIM charged customers a “house fee” to have sex with the women, while paying no wages or salaries to the women. The women were typically required to live at KIM’s facilities and to pay the manager of the brothels $300 per week for living expenses.

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In addition to her prison term, Judge COTE sentenced KIM, 54, of Flushing, Queens, to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay a $200 special assessment fee.

Mr. BHARARA praised the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the District of Columbia Police Department for their outstanding work in investigating this case.

The prosecution is being handled by the General Crimes Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney ABIGAIL S. KURLAND is in charge of the prosecution.