Brooklyn man charged after police raid massage parlor in Lewiston - Lewiston Sun Journal

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Lewiston police investigated a massage parlor at this building on Hartley Street in Lewiston for sex trafficking. On Sept. 6, the owner, Richard Qiu, was arrested in Boston and is in the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — A Brooklyn man has been arrested on sex trafficking charges after a police investigation into a massage parlor on Hartley Street.


Richard Qiu Androscoggin County Jail

Richard Qiu, 58, was being held at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn on Wednesday on two counts of sex trafficking and a charge of forced labor, according to a jail official. He was being held on $100,000 bail.

Qiu has been connected to other massage parlors in various parts of the state, including a business in Bath that was issued a cease and desist order by city officials in April. The parlor closed soon after and Qiu moved his business to Lewiston, according to real estate records.

Lewiston police have been investigating the parlor at the corner of Sabattus and Hartley streets since spring. The parlor, with an address listed as 3 Hartley St., operated under the name Wen Xin Spa.

When police searched the business, they found two victims of sex trafficking, prompting a response by officials from the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services, according to a Lewiston police news release. It was also reported that police seized video recording equipment, condoms and $12,000 in cash believed to be connected to illicit activities at the business.

Qiu had been indicted by a grand jury in connection with the massage parlor in July, but wasn’t arrested until Sept. 6 when he was caught by the U.S. Marshals Service in Boston.

Although Qiu had been investigated by city officials in various parts of Maine, it was believed that Lewiston police were the first to initiate criminal charges against him.

Mayor Carl Sheline applauded the investigation and said city police will continue to crack down on sex trafficking in any form.

“As mayor, I fully support the efforts of our Lewiston Police Department in tackling the unlawful activities that occurred here,” Sheline said. “I stand with our Lewiston Police Department in denouncing the horrific crime of sex trafficking. This business has disrupted the safety and well-being of not only our community but others throughout Maine for far too long.

“Today’s action by the Lewiston Police Department,” the mayor said, “sends a clear message that we will not tolerate such behavior and that we are committed to maintaining a safe, respectable environment for all our residents. I commend the police for their swift and decisive response, and we will continue to uphold the standards of our city with vigilance.”

When Qiu was arrested, he was also charged under criminal forfeiture laws, meaning he will be forced to surrender any property linked to the massage parlor.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Androscoggin District Attorney’s Office assisted Lewiston police during the investigation.

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