Story by Ethan
On September 30th, 2025, the arrests of Kwai Ling Chan, age 47, Bobby Chen, age 38, and Tashi Chimchu, age 34, were announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Kwai Ling Chan and Bobby Chen were charged with six counts of Sex Trafficking, two counts of second-degree Promoting Prostitution, and two counts of third-degree Promoting Prostitution. Tashi Chimchu was charged with three counts of Sex Trafficking, second and third-degree Promoting Prostitution, and Unlawfully Possessing Noxious Material. The arrest and charges against Kwai Ling Chan, Bobby Chen, and Tashi Chimchu, were a result of an investigation handled by Police Officer Yingkai Kong, members of the NYPD’s Queens Vice Enforcement Division under the supervision of Sergeants Jingbo Chi and Sasha Rosen, Deputy Inspector Stanislav Levitsky, the NYPD Human Trafficking Homeland Security Task Force, Detective Cynthia Oliva, Sergeant Robert Duplessis, and Captain Maripily Clase.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the victim had met Kwai Ling Chan in June 2025 and agreed upon a $14,000 payment from the victim to bring her daughter from Colombia to New York. The victim was informed by Kwai Ling Chan that she would be able to pay off the debt by working as a masseuse, not requiring sexual acts with the clients, at an apartment on 43-17 Union Street. Allegedly Kwai Ling Chan demanded the possession of the passports belonging to the victim and her other six year old daughter who was already in New York with her. Defendant Kwai Ling Chan allegedly refused to return the passports in question until the victim paid off her debt, also increasing her amount of debt after a supposed infraction incident.
Shortly after the victim began working at the 43-17 apartment as a masseuse, one client requested to pay in exchange for sexual acts with her. When the victim refused, allegedly Kwai Ling Chan verbally threatened the victim and her daughters, while telling her she was forced to engage in prostitution or else her older daughter would not be brought into New York. Between July 6th, 2025, and September 4th, 2025, the victim was continuously forced to have sex with her clients in exchange for money that allegedly went straight to Kwai Ling Chan and her husband Bobby Chen.
Between August 31st, 2025, and September 4th, 2025, Tashi Chimchu had allegedly worked alongside Kwai Ling Chan and Bobby Chen at the 43-17 apartment. Tashi Chimchu allegedly would work with the victim’s clients, negotiating prices and scheduling appointment dates and times. Many clients that Tashi Chimchu allegedly worked with had contacted their business through prostitution advertisements that were made. On September 4th, 2025, the NYPD’s VICE Enforcement Division conducted an undercover operation at the defendants’ massage parlor that led to the arrest of Kwai Ling Chan and Tashi Chimchu. Following the arrests officers had recovered a spray ball gun off of Tashi Chimchu’s body, and Bobby Chen was also apprehended early the next morning after going to the precinct to check on Kwai Ling Chan.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Kwai Ling Chan, Bobby Chen, and Tashi Chimchu are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
