Florida man pleads guilty to running prostitution operation

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Federal authorities say a Florida man has pleaded guilty to operating massage parlours in three states where undocumented women from Asia were offering sex for money.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida says it executed search warrants in massage parlours in Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania as part of its case against 41-year-old David C. Williams of Pensacola.

Under the guilty plea announced Thursday, Williams faces up to 10 years of prison for transporting the women for purposes of prostitution and harbouring them for his financial gain. He also faces an additional 25 years for money laundering.

As part of his guilty plea, Williams is also forfeiting $125,000 in money seized from bank accounts and his massage parlours. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 7.