Spa raid may lead to divorce in S'ville
FEDERAL CHARGES: Woman 'shocked' husband took in prostitution sting suspect
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Tuesday, April 4, 2006 12:28 AM CDT
SCHERERVILLE | A local woman said she is preparing to divorce her husband for agreeing to take in a woman charged with being a manager of a massage parlor that allegedly offered prostitution.
"I'm shocked," Susan Hjertquist said Monday after learning her husband, Larry Hjertquist, is allowing Ansil Hyun, to live at their home and business, Hjertquist Motors, 2238 U.S. 41, Schererville. Hyun is awaiting trial on a federal charge she recruited women to be prostitutes at Singapore Spa, 2034 45th St., Highland.
Larry Hjertquist, the owner of the auto dealership, declined comment Monday. He isn't accused of any wrongdoing by authorities.
Highland police and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service raided Singapore Spa and three other spas in Highland and Dyer on Feb. 22 following a lengthy investigation into claims that spa employees solicited sex from customers.
Seven people have been charged in the investigation.
Hyun was arrested in the raids and initially held in a federal lockup as a flight risk since she had no permanent address in Northwest Indiana.
U.S. District Court papers in the case indicate Hyun's attorney, Charles Stewart, was able to win her release March 15 after Larry Hjertquist testified at her detention hearing.
U.S. Magistrate Andrew Rodovich released Hyun on a $50,000 bond on condition she "live with Larry Hjertquist, 2238 U.S. 41, Schererville."
Susan Hjertquist said this happened while she was visiting their second home near Fort Myers, Fla. She said she intends to return to Indiana immediately and confer with a lawyer to dissolve her marriage of 36 years and evict her husband and Hyun from their Indiana home.
Local and federal law enforcement officers began an investigation last year into complaints of prostitution at Singapore Spa, Sun Spa, 1064 Joliet St., Dyer; Tokyo Tanning and Day Spa, 2303 45th St., Highland; and Barley Spa, 9636 Forrest Drive, Highland.
The U.S. attorney's office filed an affidavit in which Special Agent Dennis Kingsley, of the Immigration Service, alleges undercover agents visited the Singapore Spa and were solicited for sex by a "Jennifer" on Oct. 13 and by "Kee" on Feb. 15.
The affidavit alleges Hyun moved from Duluth, Ga., to manage Singapore Spa and recruited women from Georgia to Indiana to engage in prostitution.
Hyun will be allowed to answer the charges against her May 24 when she is arraigned on the criminal complaint.
Jerome T. Flynn, executive director of the Northern District of Indiana Federal Community Defender Inc., appeared in U.S. District Court last week to demand the court end secrecy in the case and unseal all charges. He also wants removed the restrictions on 11 women in their 20s and 30s suspected of acting as prostitutes and who are being detained at local jails as government witnesses, although they haven't been charged.
FEDERAL CHARGES: Woman 'shocked' husband took in prostitution sting suspect
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Tuesday, April 4, 2006 12:28 AM CDT
SCHERERVILLE | A local woman said she is preparing to divorce her husband for agreeing to take in a woman charged with being a manager of a massage parlor that allegedly offered prostitution.
"I'm shocked," Susan Hjertquist said Monday after learning her husband, Larry Hjertquist, is allowing Ansil Hyun, to live at their home and business, Hjertquist Motors, 2238 U.S. 41, Schererville. Hyun is awaiting trial on a federal charge she recruited women to be prostitutes at Singapore Spa, 2034 45th St., Highland.
Larry Hjertquist, the owner of the auto dealership, declined comment Monday. He isn't accused of any wrongdoing by authorities.
Highland police and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service raided Singapore Spa and three other spas in Highland and Dyer on Feb. 22 following a lengthy investigation into claims that spa employees solicited sex from customers.
Seven people have been charged in the investigation.
Hyun was arrested in the raids and initially held in a federal lockup as a flight risk since she had no permanent address in Northwest Indiana.
U.S. District Court papers in the case indicate Hyun's attorney, Charles Stewart, was able to win her release March 15 after Larry Hjertquist testified at her detention hearing.
U.S. Magistrate Andrew Rodovich released Hyun on a $50,000 bond on condition she "live with Larry Hjertquist, 2238 U.S. 41, Schererville."
Susan Hjertquist said this happened while she was visiting their second home near Fort Myers, Fla. She said she intends to return to Indiana immediately and confer with a lawyer to dissolve her marriage of 36 years and evict her husband and Hyun from their Indiana home.
Local and federal law enforcement officers began an investigation last year into complaints of prostitution at Singapore Spa, Sun Spa, 1064 Joliet St., Dyer; Tokyo Tanning and Day Spa, 2303 45th St., Highland; and Barley Spa, 9636 Forrest Drive, Highland.
The U.S. attorney's office filed an affidavit in which Special Agent Dennis Kingsley, of the Immigration Service, alleges undercover agents visited the Singapore Spa and were solicited for sex by a "Jennifer" on Oct. 13 and by "Kee" on Feb. 15.
The affidavit alleges Hyun moved from Duluth, Ga., to manage Singapore Spa and recruited women from Georgia to Indiana to engage in prostitution.
Hyun will be allowed to answer the charges against her May 24 when she is arraigned on the criminal complaint.
Jerome T. Flynn, executive director of the Northern District of Indiana Federal Community Defender Inc., appeared in U.S. District Court last week to demand the court end secrecy in the case and unseal all charges. He also wants removed the restrictions on 11 women in their 20s and 30s suspected of acting as prostitutes and who are being detained at local jails as government witnesses, although they haven't been charged.