Man Who Managed Clients for High-End Cambridge Brothel Network Pleads Guilty

Junmyung Lee, a man accused of vetting and organizing clientele for a high-end brothel network in Cambridge and Watertown, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to coerce women into prostitution and money laundering in federal court on Wednesday.

Lee, 31, is the second of three individuals who allegedly operated the brothel network to plead guilty to the charges. Cambridge resident Han Lee — the alleged ringleader of the operation — pleaded guilty late last month.

A third conspirator, James Lee, is expected to have a hearing in December. The three individuals are not related.

The men are accused of running brothels out of high-end apartments in Massachusetts and Virginia, primarily trafficking Asian American women. The brothels in Cambridge and Watertown allegedly serviced influential clients, including elected officials and professors — though none of the customers have been named publicly.

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled in February that the hearings for the suspected customers of the Cambridge brothel will be public. In early September, however, the court heard arguments from representatives for the alleged sex buyers to appeal the decision. Typically, probable cause hearings are held in private unless the case is a matter of public interest.

In Wednesday’s hearing, federal authorities said they found a cellphone in Junmyung Lee’s apartment which contained over 2,800 contacts of individuals connected to the brothel network. Lee allegedly made up to $8,000 a month managing and transporting women between apartments for paid sex.

Lee’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb 12. He was released on bond but must wear a GPS monitoring device.

—Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at sally.edwards@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.

—Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Threads @asher_montgomery.