A Middlesex Superior Court jury has convicted Eric Yuen, 58, of Malden, of three counts of sex trafficking, one count of deriving support from prostitution and one count of money laundering, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office announced on Nov. 6. The jury's verdict ends a two-week trial, and a judge will sentence Yuen on Nov. 17 at 11:30 a.m.
Yuen's bail was revoked after the verdict, according to the office. The release does not say what sentence the charges carry, and it includes no statement from Yuen or his defense lawyer.
What prosecutors say happened
The case began with a tip from the Cambridge Police Department to Homeland Security Investigations. The attorney general's office says the investigation found that from July 2021 to March 2022, Yuen harbored women at his Malden home and transported them to hotels and private residences around Greater Boston for commercial sex.
The office says he advertised the women online, including on a website called Skip the Games, set up appointments with buyers and took a share of what buyers paid. He used that money to cover rent, utilities, transportation and other costs of the operation, the office said.
The casino link
Money laundering means moving illegally earned money through legitimate channels so it looks clean. Here, the office says Yuen used accounts and transactions associated with Encore Boston Harbor to do that.
According to the release, financial records showed substantial cash deposits and gambling transactions, including times when he gambled for short periods before cashing out. The office said the evidence at trial also included digital and physical evidence and testimony. The release does not say how much money went through the casino.
Assistant Attorneys General Amanda Paull, deputy chief of the Human Trafficking Division, and Robert Reed of the White Collar and Public Integrity Division prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and the Massachusetts State Police conducted the investigation, with help from Cambridge police.
The attorney general's office lists two ways to report suspected trafficking: the Commonwealth's Anti-Trafficking Task Force at 617-420-6315 or CATTaskForce@mass.gov, and the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.