Morris County authorities are seeking more than $9,000 seized during a number of prostitution investigations conducted by police in Pequannock, Pompton Plains, and Riverdale.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office recently filed three lawsuits for forfeiture of money seized during the investigations. The lawsuits also seek the forfeiture of a 2008 Lexus RX 350 and computer equipment found at the scenes.
The legal complaints were filed in Morris County Superior Court in Morristown, New Jersey.
The prostitution investigations by Pequannock NJ police occurred during March and May. Undercover officers posed as potential customers at a massage parlor called Natural and Artificial Care, which is located on Newark-Pompton Turnpike in Pequannock NJ
According to authorities, the suspects offered to perform sexual favors at the end of the massages.
During a search of the massage parlor, law enforcement seized nearly $7,000 in cash, a 2008 Lexus RX 350, a computer monitor, and two iPads.
Police also seized cash and other property from a massage parlor called GW Center, which is located on Route 23 in Pompton Plains, NJ. During an undercover investigation, police officers posed as customers and were allegedly offered particular sex acts.
A subsequent search of the massage parlor reportedly turned up more than $1,200 in cash and a laptop computer.
Police busted another alleged prostitution business being operated out of Riverdale Therapy, which is located on Hamburg Turnpike in Riverdale, NJ. Undercover cops posed as patrons and were allegedly offered sexual services by employees.
A search of the premises reportedly led police to find more than $1,100 in cash, a computer monitor, and a laptop computer.
Now Morris County officials are seeking civil judgments for the forfeiture of property used in the course of the alleged criminal activities at the massage parlors. For example, it is believed that the car seized by police in Pequannock was used to make prostitution-related house calls and drive prostitutes to local residences.
As a result of the investigations, police arrested eight women. The suspects were charged with various sex crimes, including promoting prostitution, conspiracy to engage in prostitution, maintaining a nuisance, and operating a sexually oriented business within 1,000 feet of residential property.
For more information about this case, see the DailyRecord.com article entitled “Morris Prosecutor Seeks $9,273 Seized in Prostitution Probes.”