Police raiding Seattle business in brothel probe

Police and federal law enforcement officers today raided tanning salons in King County that they say were fronts for prostitution, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Donald Frey, 36, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., and Nguyen Nguyen, 26, of Renton, have been indicted on a charge of allegedly running the brothels disguised as tanning salons and spas. The two and a third unnamed suspect allegedly booked air travel and arranged for the transportation of sex workers from other states to work in the businesses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to the indictment, the brothels were run out of the The Avalon Spa, 9530 Aurora Ave. N., in Seattle, and the Malibu Tanning Spa, 13985 Interurban Ave. S. in Tukwila. They also ran a prostitution business out of the Aloha Tanning Resort, at 2828 Sunset Lane N.E. in Renton, before it closed, the indictment alleges.

Warrants today were served at the businesses, as well as residences in Kent and Renton, and at a boat, the Island Girl, moored at the Westlake Marina on Seattle's Lake Union, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Officers have been searching for business records and other evidence.

The raids are part of a three-year investigation that also involves the King County Sheriff's Office, the Internal Revenue Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to the indictment, Frey operated the businesses under the names Crown Venture Capitol Inc., and Crown Venture Management, Ltd.

During 2007 and 2008, women working at the businesses offered to provide sex acts to undercover officers and informants in exchange for cash, according to the indictment. Every couple of weeks, Frey would fly to Seattle from California or Nevada to collect thousands of dollars in cash from Nguyen and others employed as managers at the spa businesses, the indictment said.

In 2006, 2007, and 2008, Nguyen booked more than 70 flights for women traveling from other states to work in the brothels, the indictment said.