Queens District Attorney Katz announced that two Chinese men have been indicted by a grand jury on charges of human trafficking and promoting prostitution, and another Chinese man has been accused. They are charged with forcing a woman who had just arrived in the United States from China to work at an illegal sex trade location in East Flushing. The woman was brought to the United States and taken to a location where her cash and jewelry were confiscated, she was detained and physically abused, and forced into prostitution.
According to the investigation, the victim arrived at Kennedy International Airport in New York in November 2024 from China, where she and three other women were immediately taken, brought to an unknown location, physically assaulted, and forced to hand over jewelry and cash. She was later transported to various locations in Brooklyn and Queens to engage in sexual activities. If she refused, she was subjected to violence and even heard discussions about being sold for $8,000.
On January 31, undercover officers went to a residence on 162nd Street in East Flushing based on a prostitution advertisement. Jingchao Zhang received the officers and Xucheng Sun pointed to 10 women, stating, “It’s $120 each time.” After verifying the information, the officers notified the waiting police who conducted a raid. Sun attempted to escape through a window, and a loaded handgun was found at the scene.
The victim later testified that Sun forced her into prostitution by physically assaulting her at the location, while Zhang threatened her to comply by showing a gun in the house.
Sun Xucheng, 30, residing on Roosevelt Avenue, faces charges including two counts of human trafficking, third and fourth-degree promotion of prostitution, second and third-degree assault, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He appeared in Queens Supreme Court on April 10, denied bail, and could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Zhang Jingchao, 29, living on Kessena Boulevard, is charged with two counts of human trafficking, third-degree promotion of prostitution, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He is currently being held on another weapon and prostitution case and is scheduled to appear in court on May 1 for the new charges. If found guilty, he could also face up to 25 years in prison.
Peilong Tang, 46, along with Sun Xucheng, faces third and fourth-degree promotion of prostitution charges. They appeared in court together on April 8, and Tang has not been indicted. He is expected to have another court appearance in June and could be sentenced to up to 7 years in prison if convicted.
District Attorney Katz urged the public to report any information related to human trafficking to the authorities to protect the community’s safety and human rights. She also expressed gratitude to the brave survivor for coming forward to testify against the crimes.