Statewide prostitution ring operated in Richland, Kennewick

A prostitution ring allegedly run across the country by a Georgia woman included operations in Kennewick and Richland.

Six people were arrested in Western Washington last week after a lengthy investigation into an organized criminal ring that made hundreds of thousands of dollars through the prostitution of Asian sex workers, according to U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.

The FBI, along with law enforcement from the west side of the state, identified numerous brothel locations by analyzing cellphones, business records and websites like Backpage.com.

Hayes said the suspects advertised their prostitution business on the website. Local and federal investigators then conducted surveillance on rented apartments and hotel rooms and the suspects, whose different roles included transporting sex workers to various locations, buying supplies, placing ads and collecting money from the workers.

The apparent leader, Fang Wang, was arrested in Columbus, Georgia. The 28-year-old Queens woman spent about $100,000 to increase the traffic to her Backpage.com ads, Hayes said.

Four other suspects are from Seattle and the fifth lives in Renton. All of them are charged by federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.

A news release from Hayes said the operation extended into Eastern Washington, and that Kennewick and Richland police helped in the investigation.

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Statewide prostitution ring operated in Richland, Kennewick."