2 sentenced to prison for illegal prostitution at Symmes Township spa

Two people who ran an illegal prostitution operation out of a Symmes Township massage spa will spend two years in prison.

Yinliu Shi, 45, and Zhiguo Zhang, 48, both of Flushing, New York, pleaded guilty and were sentenced on charges of promoting prostitution, money laundering and telecommunications fraud, the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday, July 16. The sentences stem from a months-long investigation into the Sunflower Spa on Loveland Madeira Road.

Investigators said hundreds of thousands of dollars flowed through the operation, laundered through multiple bank accounts, according to the prosecutor's office. The illegal activity began as early as June 2023.

Shi lived in a nearby apartment with women who worked at the spa, the prosecutor's office said.

"Illegal brothels are not victimless businesses," Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said. "They fuel exploitation, enrich criminals, and threaten the safety of our neighborhoods."

A third suspect, Pingwei Cheng, 50, also of Flushing, New York, remains wanted on an active warrant. His indictment includes three charges of promoting prostitution, one charge of money laundering and one charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

Investigation

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Organized Crime Section led the investigation with cooperation from the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, the Ohio Governor's Human Trafficking Task Force, the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the State Medical Board of Ohio. The NYPD Joint Agency Warrant Squad and the Salvation Army of Cincinnati also assisted.

Shi was arrested in December 2025 after the months-long probe. At the time, Ceecee Collins, president of the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance, said she had visited the spa shortly after it opened and immediately had concerns.

"I went in as soon as I saw they were there, and realized, 'Oh, this isn't your everyday place where you could get stress relief, or an athlete would get a massage,'" Collins told WCPO in December 2025. "It's very dark, and a woman on the couch."

Legislative response

State Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, introduced House Bill 744 in March 2026 in response to cases like this one. The bill would require massage therapists to hold a current, valid license from the State Medical Board of Ohio.