Mi Sook Yoo

Kathy Lee

Gregory Lancaster

A short-lived Broomfield massage parlor was shuttered and three people were arrested on charges relating to prostitution last week after police raided Tokyo Sauna.

The owner of the spa could face up to 24 years in jail for pimping.

Police raided Tokyo Sauna on Aug. 6 and arrested three adults for activities related to prostitution. Owner Mi Sook Yoo, 48, faces charges of pimping, keeping a place of prostitution and pandering.

When police entered the business at 555 Highway 287, Unit L, they found customer Gregory Lancaster, 65, engaged in intercourse with Kathy Lee, 54. Lancaster, an Arvada resident, was charged for patronizing a prostitute, which could lead to a jail sentence of up to six months and a $500 fine. Lee was charged with prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $750 fine.

Thirty minutes before the raid, police observed Yoo throwing away an empty box of Lifestyle condoms in a Dumpster near the strip mall. Davenport entered the parlor around 3:30 p.m., and the raid took place at 3:45 p.m. Davenport paid Yoo $40 for a "body rub" and paid Lee $100 for intercourse, according to arrest records.

Police records indicate Lee, a resident of Valley Stream, N.Y., flew to Colorado on Aug. 5 after responding to an advertisement in a Korean newspaper. She told police she was living at the spa along with Yoo and another woman.

Yoo was aware prostitution took place at the spa, Lee told police. Clients would pay Yoo for a massage, and prostitutes would keep "the tips" for sex acts. Yoo would leave a condom out for employees, Lee said, telling police she did not know where the condoms were stored only that "(Yoo) keeps one condom out at all times."

Police obtained a warrant on July 31 after receiving a tip the business was a front for prostitution. A search of the business' trash led to the discovery of 17 used condoms.

Credit card receipts also were found on the scene. The charges were for $40 to $60, with additional charges of $60 to $108 being added 30 minutes to an hour later, according to the arrest affidavit.

"It should be noted that the massage rates for Tokyo Sauna are $40 for a half-hour and $60 for an hour," the affidavit states. "These additional transactions are consistent with (Lee's) statement as to the cost of the sex acts performed."

Also found during the raid were bank payments and a letter referencing back payment of rent due for the strip-mall storefront, according to the arrest affidavit.

Police would not disclose if there will be a further investigation.

The spa, which police said opened in mid-July, was closed after the raid. A hand-written sign posted in the front window reads "Due to a water pipe problem we will be closed on Aug. 9, 10, 11 and 12. Sorry for the inconvenience."