TRENTON, N.J. – A husband and wife admitted to conspiring to promote prostitution in spas in New Jersey and New York, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Zhejun Piao, 38, and Miyeon Choi a/k/a “Maya,” 38, both of Palisades Park, New Jersey, each pleaded guilty on May 26, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Zahid N.

Quraishi in Trenton federal court to an Information charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of the mail and any facility in aid of a racketeering enterprise.According to documents filed in the cases and statements made in court:Choi admitted to being a leader or organizer of the conspiracy in which she, Piao, and other co-conspirators owned or operated the following nine massage parlors, often referred to as spas:Coco Spa in Paterson, New Jersey;Gold Spa and 785 Spa in Passaic New Jersey;365 Spa in Fairview, New Jersey;Queen Spa and Hawaii Spa in Edgewater, New JerseyGood Day Spa in East Brunswick, New Jersey;Spa Wellness in Toms River, New Jersey; andNew Soothing Day Spa in New Rochelle, New York.Each of the spas operated in a similar way in which women workers provided sexual services to paying customers in exchange for a fee of $160 or $175. Many of the spas provided customers with loyalty or rewards cards whereby customers would receive a stamp for each visit and receive a free visit after collecting a certain number of stamps. The spas typically opened for service from approximately 8:00 am to midnight, seven days a week with many of the women living at the spas, and according to ledgers for the spas, some of the women performed sexual services to approximately 20 men a day. As a leader of the conspiracy, Choi admitted to among other things, recruiting women to work at the spas, communicating with customers by phone to book appointments, controlling the money generated by the spas, and advertising the sexual services offered at the spas online.

She also admitted to directing other co-conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy, such as requesting one co-conspirator to deliver groceries and condoms to spas or delegating responsibilities to communicate with customers and record appointments to another co-conspirator. For his role, Piao admitted to delivering supplies to the spas, including groceries, mouthwash, cleaning supplies, medications, and condoms, as well as picking up ledgers, receipts, and cash proceeds from the spas. Both Choi and Piao admitted to storing tens of thousands of condoms in their home in addition to approximately $1.2 million in cash. As part of their guilty pleas, Choi and Piao agreed to forfeit the cash, numerous designer handbags, luxury watches, and jewelry.The charge of conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of the mail and any facility in aid of a racketeering enterprise carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2026.U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; the U.S. State Department, Diplomatic Security Service; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt.

Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle. He also thanked HSI New York, Hudson Valley Office; Customs and Border Protection; the Passaic County Prosecutors Office; Passaic County Sheriff; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Bergen County Sheriff; Edgewater Police Department; Fairview Police Department; Paterson Police Department; East Brunswick Police Department; New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice; South Toms River Police Department; Edison Police Department; South Toms River Police Department; Morris County Prosecutor’s Office; Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office; New Rochelle Police Department; Westchester District Attorney’s Office; Federal Air Marshals; New York State Police; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Westwood Police Department; and the Ridgefield Park Police Department; and the Palisades Park Police Department.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark. ###Defense counsel: Miyeon Choi: Warren Sutnick, Esq.Zhejun Piao: Paul Brickfield, Esq. choi.information.pdf piao.information.pdf