Kyong "Jackie" Roberts, her husband, Sang Hyun Cho, and Mi Na Malcolm were
sentenced to prison terms ranging from 30 months to 10 years in federal
hearings Monday and Tuesday.
The three were targets of an Aug. 12 raid on eight Asian spas that netted 42
sex workers. The raids were part of an operation that found hundreds of women
and millions of dollars in assets at brothels in Dallas, Los Angeles and San
Francisco.
The crackdown became the focus of Dallas Morning News stories about the
brothels and the prostitutes' fight for legal protection as human-trafficking
victims.
For Ms. Roberts, Monday's sentencing marked the end of a decade's rise from
local prostitute to owner of a series of brothels.
"It's a seedy, sordid, awful tale," said Assistant US Attorney John DeLaGarza.
"In some bizarre twist of the American dream, she rose to own the business
where she had sold her body previously."
Ms. Roberts, 54, tearfully expressed regret in federal court.
"I was just living in a foolish world," she said.
Her attorneys had sought a light sentence, citing her poor health and
cooperation in providing names of those involved in human trafficking.
But US District Judge Sam Lindsay sentenced Ms. Roberts to a 37-month term for
financial wrongdoing tied to her businesses. She also faces state charges.
Mr. Cho received a 30-month sentence for his role. Ms. Malcolm was sentenced to
10 years for harboring South Korean prostitutes and smuggling cash.
"Because of Ms. Malcolm, these women virtually became slaves," Chief US
District Judge A. Joe Fish said.
As Ms. Malcolm was sentenced, six former prostitutes watched intently, now
living safely in America.
Most of the women found in the August raids were deported, leading to outcries
from some victims' advocates.
Federal law permits thousands of visas annually for victims of human
trafficking, but fewer than 800 had been issued as of May.
The Dallas Morning News
