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 Wednesday in federal court to charges of conspiracy to coerce women into prostitution and money laundering.

Lee, 31, is the second of three people 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 be heard in December. The three people are not related.

The men are accused of running brothels out of luxury apartments in Massachusetts and Virginia, trafficking mostly Asian-American women. The brothels in Cambridge and Watertown are said to have served influential clients, including elected officials and professors – although none of the clients have been publicly named.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled in February that the hearings for the suspected customers of the Cambridge brothel took place will be public. However, in early September, the court heard arguments from representatives urging the alleged sex buyers to appeal the decision. Normally, probable cause hearings are held behind closed doors unless the case is a matter of public interest.

During Wednesday’s hearing, federal authorities said they found a cellphone in Junmyung Lee’s apartment containing more than 2,800 contacts of individuals connected to the brothel network. Lee is said to have earned up to $8,000 a month managing and transporting women between apartments for paid sex.

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

—Staff Writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Topics @sally_edwards06.

— Staff Writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Topics @asher_montgomery.