Massage parlor couple sentenced for human trafficking

Shreveport Times

Show Caption Hide Caption Video: Modern Day Slavery in Louisiana Sex Trafficking is happening in Louisiana, and on a much larger scale than most people realize.

A man and his wife arrested on human trafficking charges a little over a year pleaded guilty this week in Caddo District Court.

Defendant Linan Tian, 35, was accused, along with his wife, Bing Bing Li, of operating the Palm Asian Massage Parlor in Caddo Parish, as well as similar parlors in Bossier City and in other states, including Missouri. At these businesses, female immigrants enticed from China were forced to provide services or labor through the threat or use of force, fraud or coercion.

Tian, who was arrested in July 2017, pleaded guilty as charged Tuesday before Judge John D. Mosely Jr.

Tian was sentenced to 18 months at hard labor, and was ordered by the court to forfeit the assets seized from him during the investigation. This ranged from several thousand dollars in cash, two vehicles, cell phones, computers and tablets used to facilitate the crime of human trafficking.

Bing Bing Li, 31, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor money laundering and received a six-month sentence with credit for time served. She, too, was ordered to forfeit all seized assets.

More: Man arrested for armed robbery at Thrifty Liquor



