Cupertino couple, employee charged with running brothel out of day spa business

A San Jose married couple and an employee were charged with running a brothel out of a Cupertino day spa business, prosecutors said on Thursday.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said in a press release that since 2022, Lin Wang, 46, and Xian Wang, 48, owned and operated Hummingbird Day Spa in the De Anza Professional Center office complex on S. De Anza Boulevard south of Stevens Creek Boulevard. The spa allegedy offered sexual services to approximately 30 male sex buyers daily, bringing in about $700,000 a year, the DA's Office said.   

The Wangs, along with an employee identified as 42-year-old Sunnyvale resident Rui Wang, face mulitple felony charges, including pimping and pandering, money laundering, and tax and payroll fraud. 

According to the DA's Office, the investigation began in March after community members reported illegal sexual activity at the spa, which marketed to male customers and had a high volume of men entering the business over a short period of time each day.

Further investigation showed that the Wangs underreported payroll by more than $100,000 per year, and that the three defendants funneled profits from the brothel through mortgage payments to properties in San Jose and San Bernardino County, as well as through investments, the office said. A forensic financial analysis also showed that all three have been involved in pimping and pandering operations, money laundering, tax irregularities, and payroll fraud over a long period of time, the office said.

All three were arrested on Sept. 10. Two women at the spa received support services from Gilroy-based nonprofit Community Solutions, the DA's Office said.

"There is no room in our neighborhoods for working brothels," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a prepared statement. "There is no room in Santa Clara County for the criminal exploitation of human beings."

All three defendants were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon at the San Jose Hall of Justice. If convicted, the defendants face multiple years in prison.

If someone needs help and wants to connect with services and resources related to human trafficking in Santa Clara, call the 24-hour confidential hotline at (877) 363-7238. To report human trafficking to law enforcement, call (408) 792-2700 or email httips@dao.sccgov.org.