March 28, 2024

Massage parlor remains closed following illegal practices

Second massage therapist cited by police last month

Sakura Massage remains closed after Newton Police cited the business for performing illegal massages last month. The business initially closed its doors in February after police arrested a woman for giving a massage without a license. Scott Farver, who owns the property located at 2617 First Ave. E. Suite 3 said the business is now permanently closed.

“It’s all full of equipment, they left and left everything there,” Farver said. “Do you know anyone in town who wants to open a spa?”

After closing its door for a time, NPD officers returned to the massage parlor last month to discover Tao Qian of Rosemead, Calif. was practicing massage within Newton without a city license. While Qian does have a state license to practice massage, her application for a massage therapy license to practice massage within the city of Newton was denied.

“The second incident was just a municipal violation because she did have a state license, she had not been approved for the city business license yet,” Newton Police Chief Rob Burdess said.

The city of Newton moved to create a city specific licensing requirement for massage businesses last December to address concerns in the community. The code requires new and existing massage therapy businesses that operate within the city of Newton to apply for licensing with the city. The application will be reviewed by the police department and city staff to ensure compliance with the ordinance. The review includes verification of the business address/location, a criminal background check of all employees listed and verification of the State of Iowa massage therapy license.

Applicants who meet the requirements to operate a massage therapy business will be granted a business license from the city. Burdess said 12 businesses within the city of Newton have been granted a massage therapy business license. Police officers investigate the applications and make a recommendation.

“They go through city hall and then they are routed to us we do all the background checks on the applications,” Burdess said.

Qian’s application, which was dated March 19, was denied by the city of Newton. In a letter dated April 4, Burdess cited several reasons for denying Qian’s application. Examiners determined information on her application contained false or incomplete information and the listed business, Asian Sunshine Massage LLC did not exist. State records indicate the business had been administratively dissolved as an organization by the Secretary of State’s office in 2017.

In the letter Burdess also noted that Qian had failed to provide proof of residency within the state of Iowa. The driver’s license Qian provided to police officers listed a home address in California. Online records provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health list an address for Qian in Sioux Falls, S.D. Des Moines attorney Don Nguyen, who appeared in court on April 16 to contest Qian’s citation, declined to comment on whether or she resided in Iowa.

“I made an appearance on her behalf for the citation, but I haven’t talked to her in awhile,” Nguyen said. “I can neither confirm or deny that.”

The police department’s report also cites advertisements to promote the business were found on two different websites linked to human trafficking, Rub Maps and Backpage. Burdess noted both websites are “commonly used in illegitimate and illegal activity, including human trafficking and prostitution.” Police found Qian had also been advertising the business on those sites under the name “Sakura Acupressure,” a business that was denied a massage therapy license by the city in February due to illegal activity.

On April 6, Backpage and its associated websites were seized following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Inspection Division of the United States Postal Service. The website has drawn criticism for years from advocates fighting against human trafficking, who claim Backpage turned a blind eye to illegal activity occurring on the site.

Newton Says No to Human Trafficking member Rep. Wes Breckenridge said he thinks the ordinance is a positive move for the city, he has yet to hear any complaints after the ordinance passed. Breckenridge said he feels the increased oversight helps make Newton residents safer.

“You have the oversight of those massage parlors, to make sure they’re licensed and have certified people doing the job,” Breckenridge said. “I think it’s good for communities to take that step to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their citizens.”

Cracking down on illegal activity locally as well as statewide helps to limit human trafficking, the legislator said. Closing down site likes Backpage will make it easier to protect individuals who’ve been victimized by human traffickers.

“You know I think that’s a positive, that site was a location where illegal activity was happening, I think it’s a step in the right direction to protecting victims, it’s a great move forward,” Breckenridge said.

In February, 48-year-old Yan Shulan was arrested at Sakura Massage when an officer discovered she was giving a massage and was unable to show a valid license. According to Burdess, the only valid license at the parlor belonged to Guo Ping Hu, who was not present during the site visit. The officer also found a license posted on the wall, a photocopy, which was invalid and likely posted as a way to appear compliant, Burdess said.

Shulan, who had a passport from the People’s Republic of China, said she had been in the United States since October, but arrived in Newton earlier that week. She didn’t have any other papers, according to the officer, and a male customer confirmed to the officer he had received a 60-minute massage from Shulan where she reportedly massaged his back, shoulders and arms. Shulan was arrested and taken to the Jasper County Jail, where she posted a $1,000 bond. Shulan is due to appear in court next for a pretrial conference on May 9.

On Tuesday, Farver, who owns and leases the building space the massage parlor is
located in said the business has remained closed since Qian was cited by police in March. Farver said he's hoping to find another tenant to take over the massage parlor, but he wants to make sure any prospective tenant has the appropriate licenses first.

“Bottom line, there is nobody in there now, I have not taken the signs off because I’m a little bit miffed by the whole situation,” Farver said. “It didn’t dawn on me that maybe somebody didn’t have a license and a permit. Until someone gets a license in town and gets their permit from the city I’m not allowing them in there anyways.”

Contact David Dolmage at
641-792-3121 ext. 6532
or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com