Couple charged with trafficking women at illicit massage parlors

A Michigan man is accused of helping his wife run a human trafficking operation through illicit massage parlors where the pair allegedly forced women to live and work long hours for low wages, according to the authorities. 

Following an investigation by Farmington Hills police, 57-year-old Paul Richard Katterman II has been charged with running a human trafficking enterprise, commercial sexual activity, keeping a house of prostitution, conducting a criminal enterprise and failure to file taxes.

According to Fox 2 Detroit, the Livonia man and his wife, Zixuan Wan, allegedly trafficked four non-English-speaking women from China. The four women worked at three different locations in Farmington Hills, Westland and Commerce Township and were essentially prisoners, according to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. 

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“Trafficking has become a sophisticated criminal enterprise that generates huge cash profits for the criminals who run them. We must use every available tool and resource to free victims, prosecute traffickers, and seize their ill-gotten money,” McDonald said in a statement.

“The Farmington Hills Police, in cooperation with the Human Trafficking Task Force and the Prosecutor’s Office, has continued to work this investigation and gather the evidence that allowed us to bring these additional charges. We will not stop.”

Wan, 44, faces new charges, including money laundering, conducting a criminal enterprise and failure to file taxes, according to Fox 2 Detroit. As the local news outlet reported last month, Wan was charged with two counts of human trafficking and one count of keeping a house of prostitution with four victims.

The suspect was arraigned and had her bond set at $100,000. She was also ordered to surrender her passport and wear a GPS tether, Fox 2 Detroit reported. 

According to a March 12 press release, authorities arrested Wan following a four-month investigation led by the Farmington Hills Police Department Directed Patrol Unit. The department worked in collaboration with the Westland Police Department Special Investigations Unit and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit. 

The investigation started in November after Farmington Hills Police DPU officers became aware of an unlicensed massage business operating in Farmington Hills. The DPU learned that the Westland Police Department SIU and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office SIU were investigating Wan and her massage parlor business. 

“A coordinated effort began, which required large amounts of interagency cooperation, information and resource sharing,” the press release stated. “Throughout the investigation, the Farmington Hills Police Department’s intelligence analyst provided critical insights by analyzing data, communication and travel patterns, and identifying key connections, which significantly advanced the investigation and led directly to actionable intelligence.” 

The joint investigation team conducted a search warrant on March 5, and the trafficking survivors were among the discoveries that day. In addition to the victims, the investigators found $140,000 in cash. 

After authorities acted on the search warrant and rescued the survivors, the trafficking victims were brought to Common Ground and CARE House of Oakland County, according to the press release. 

“The successful outcome of this investigation is the result of the strong partnerships that the Farmington Hills Police Department maintains with agencies throughout Oakland County and beyond,” Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott said in a statement. 

“I’m continually impressed with the men and women of the Farmington Hills Police Department who are constantly seeking out training opportunities and bringing the skills learned back to the department,” the police chief added. 

“These skills directly lead to law enforcement intervention rescuing these vulnerable women from further exploitation,” Piggot concluded. “Because of their excellent work and our collaboration with outside agencies, a dangerous human trafficker will be held accountable.”