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Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Former California Police Officer and Three Co-Defendants Sentenced for Years Long Operation of Illicit Massage Businesses
Peter Griffin, 79, a retired San Diego police officer and former vice detective, attorney and private investigator, was sentenced on Friday to 33 months in prison and one year of supervised release for committing various crimes in connection with his operation of five California and Arizona-based illicit massage businesses that profited for years by selling commercial sex under the guise of offering therapeutic massage services.
Griffin’s three female co-defendants, Kyung Sook Hernandez, 59, Yu Hong Tan, 57, and Yoo Jin Ott, 46, who managed the different illicit massage businesses in Griffin’s network, were each sentenced to six months in prison and one year of supervised release.
According to court documents, Griffin, Hernandez, Tan and Ott owned and operated “Genie Oriental Spa,” “Felicita Spa,” “Blue Green Spa,” “Maple Spa” and “Massage W Spa,” located in the greater San Diego area and in Tempe, Arizona, between 2013 and August 2022. The criminal scheme included incorporating their businesses with state agencies, managing the businesses’ illicit proceeds, advertising commercial sexual services online, recruiting and employing women to perform commercial sex services and benefiting financially from the illegal enterprises.
“Defendant Griffin – a former vice detective who once took an oath to uphold our laws – is being held accountable for abusing his position of authority and, with his co-defendants, operating illicit massage businesses and profiting by exploiting women for commercial sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This case is an example of how strong partnerships among law enforcement agencies can combat the illicit massage industry. The Justice Department will continue to prosecute those who callously prey on the most vulnerable members of our society.”
“Peter Griffin used the skills he developed as a vice detective — and his status as a former law enforcement officer — to operate a network of illicit massage businesses and evade law enforcement,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to this multiagency investigation, Griffin has been held accountable for his nearly decade-long criminal scheme. This case underscores the department’s commitment to prosecuting the purveyors of these illicit businesses, who profit from pressuring their employees to engage in commercial sex.”
“Illicit massage businesses hide in plain sight in many communities in America, including our district,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath for the Southern District of California. “Operators of these businesses often profit through exploitation. For years, Peter Griffin used his connections as a former police officer for his own criminal profiteering. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting these kinds of offenses, protecting our communities and ensuring that legitimate local businesses are not tarnished by criminal activity.”
“Peter Griffin abused and exploited vulnerable women by pressuring them into commercial sex for profit while taking advantage of his status in the community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Field Office. “This sentence sends a clear message to those who mistakenly believe they can get away with such repugnant crimes. HSI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work vigorously and bring to justice those who exploit and victimize vulnerable members of our community.”
“Law enforcement professionals swear an oath to protect and defend our communities, and the spirit of that oath should live on even when we stop carrying a badge,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “Griffin preyed on people who should have felt safer because of his presence. He and his co-conspirators failed in their attempts to conceal their illicit activities because of our special agents’ unique ability to follow the money and a strong cross-agency effort to find the evidence to bring these predators to justice.”
Through this scheme, the defendants exploited the employees, mostly vulnerable women from Korea and China; pressured the employees to perform commercial sex services; and made substantial financial profits from the illegal commercial sexual activity. When one employee initially refused to perform commercial sexual services, one of the defendants instructed her to “leave [her] morals in China” in order to “make the customers happy.”
Griffin, who left the department in 2002, previously worked as a detective with the Vice Operations Unit of the San Diego Police Department, a unit tasked with dismantling the very businesses he operated and promoted for personal profit. Throughout the nine-year criminal scheme, Griffin used the experience and skills he acquired through his work as a vice detective Рskills honed by his education as an attorney and work as a private investigator Рand his reputation as a former police officer to help the businesses evade law enforcement; conceal evidence; pressure employees to engage in commercial sex; maintain a fa̤ade of legitimacy; and thwart regulatory inspections, investigations and any official action against the businesses.
Griffin repeatedly used his status as a former law enforcement officer to falsely assure local authorities that his businesses would be operated legitimately. On one occasion, Griffin flashed his badge to a local officer responding to a citizen complaint regarding one of his illicit businesses. Additionally, Griffin told an employee that he was a former police officer and instructed her not to “open [her] mouth” about working at the illicit massage business. Griffin’s co-defendants similarly informed employees of Griffin’s law enforcement background and his resulting “connections” and promised he would protect the illegal businesses from law enforcement detection. Griffin also abused resources he had access to by virtue of his private investigator license to obtain information on customers and employees on behalf of the illicit massage businesses.
HSI, IRS-CI and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, a regional, multi-agency effort led by the California Justice Department dedicated to supporting survivors and holding traffickers accountable, led the investigation. The FBI San Diego Field Office, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Sherriff’s Office, the Escondido Police Department, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and the Tempe, Arizona Police Department also supported the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Streja for the Southern District of California, Trial Attorney Caylee Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Trial Attorney Leah Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case, with assistance from Senior Financial Investigators Sheila Olander and Kathryn Montemorra of the Money Laundering Section’s Special Financial Investigations Unit.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.
Statement from Comptroller Lander on 60-Day Limit for Asylum Seeker Families with Children Shelter Stays
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released the following statement on limiting shelter stays for asylum seeking families with children to sixty days.
“Thousands of children are just settling into the safety and stability of new schools, establishing routines and making new friends after months of hardship and trauma. Forcing them to leave and reapply for shelter after 60 days will only mean more disruption, anxiety, and homelessness as winter approaches.
“City Hall’s decision to impose a time limit on shelter and place children in congregate settings violates the court-affirmed rights of families. Denying families with children the stability of a private room and curtailing their shelter stay is a short-sighted, cruel step that will endanger the physical and mental wellbeing of children, exacerbate trauma, and leave many families on the streets.”
Governor Hochul Announces New Milestone in Efforts to Build Fast Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles Across New York State
Federal Highway Administration Approves State’s Updated Plan to Utilize National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program Funds to Create Fast Charging Stations
Approval Allows New York State to Receive $37.4 Million in NEVI Funding
State Department of Transportation Working with State Power Authority to Expedite Installation of Approximately 20 New Fast Charging Locations by End of 2024
Supports Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Goal to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 85 Percent by 2050 and New York State's Requirement for All New Passenger Vehicles Sold in New York State to be Zero Emission by 2035
Governor Kathy Hochul announced a milestone in New York’s nation-leading effort to combat climate change and transition to zero-emission vehicles. The Federal Highway Administration has approved New York State’s updated plan to utilize National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program Funds to install and operate additional fast charging stations, clearing the way for the state to receive its next apportionment of $37.4 million to continue the buildout.
“In order to achieve our ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning to all-electric vehicles, New York State must have a vast network of charging stations that are easy to use and convenient to reach,” Governor Hochul said. “By utilizing these critically important federal funds and by working together and combining their great skills and resources, our state Department of Transportation and Power Authority will create a state-of-the art charging network that will encourage more people to own EVs and help make a stop at the gas station a thing of the past.”
The approval comes as the State Department of Transportation and the New York Power Authority entered into an agreement to allocate the first installment of NEVI funds —approximately $20 million—to close the remaining charging station gaps along major state highways. Under this agreement, the Power Authority will utilize its Evolve NY fast charging infrastructure program to identify potential locations and install charging facilities within at least 20 designated NEVI-program gap-areas along key state highways, with most expected to complete by the end of 2024. The State Department of Transportation will leverage additional contracting vehicles for future phases of the NEVI program beyond corridor build-out, such as public-private partnerships, to expand geographic coverage of publicly accessible charging infrastructure and to support creation of charging infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
The NEVI program was created as part of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”) of 2021 and provides dedicated federal funding to states to support the strategic deployment of electric vehicle Level 3 Direct Current Fast Charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network for reliable charging, with an emphasis on locations near interstate highway exits. New York is expected to receive $175 million over five years but must submit updated plans to the Federal Highway Administration each year on how it intends to spend the money in order to receive its annual allotment.
New York's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan was developed by the New York State Department of Transportation in collaboration with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority; the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; the New York Power Authority; the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS); the New York State Thruway Authority; and the Long Island Power Authority.
Through its EVolve NY program, the New York Power Authority has installed high speed chargers along New York State's major travel corridors, from Buffalo to Albany and from the Adirondacks to Long Island. The program's goal is to make it significantly easier for New Yorkers to drive in any direction across the state and find fast chargers so they can power up and get back on the road quickly. Any battery-powered EV equipped with fast charging capability can charge up at an EVolve NY fast charger in as little as 20 minutes, including Tesla cars with an adapter. More information on EVolve NY fast chargers can be found on the program's EVolve NYwebpage.
New York State's $1 billion investment in electrifying its transportation sector is vital to meet the State's sweeping climate and clean energy plan. Reducing carbon emissions and pollution from vehicles creates cleaner air and healthier communities, particularly in underserved areas. A range of initiatives grow access to electric vehicles and improve clean transit for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, the Drive Clean Rebate, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), and federal funding under the NEVI Program.
New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35%, with a goal of 40%, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021 and over 3,000% growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with nearly 400 registered and more than 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.