A 41-year-old woman is accused of being the madame of a brothel that she is allegedly running out of her apartment located in the upscale part of Irvine, California. She faces felony counts of pimping and pandering that carries a maximum of six years in state prison if convicted of the charges.
According to the Irvine Police Department as well as the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the woman advertised her brother on a website that was known for prostitution. Police were tipped off to suspicious activity occurring inside the apartment after neighbors reported seeing several different men entering the apartment alone throughout the day. The woman was charged with a crime after she arranged for an undercover Irvine cop to have sex with a 35-year-old woman inside her apartment for $160.
Thanks to Prop 35, California’s anti-human trafficking proposition, people face stiffer sentences for being convicted of trafficking others. In addition to having to serve a prison sentence, people convicted of such crimes could also be subject to fines and fees as well as probation and community service time. The severity of the consequences can be influenced by numerous factors such as whether anyone was killed or injured as a result of the crime, how long the operation went on and other factors. Additionally, the accused person’s previous criminal history could influence the severity of the penalties. For example, someone who has already been convicted of pimping might be subject to stiffer penalties the second time around.
Criminal defense lawyers might be able to help people in fighting their criminal charges. They might be able to raise enough doubt among a jury to get the case dismissed or reduced to a lesser charge that carries more lenient sentencing than the maximum penalty.
Source: OCweekly, “Mingshu Jin Accused of Being Madame of Brothel in Apartment in Upscale Part of Irvine“, Matt Coker, July 19, 2013