Prostitution arrest at Algonquin massage parlor

An employee at Algonquin massage parlor is facing a felony prostitution charge after her arrest Thursday night on allegations she offered an undercover police officer more than Swedish or Shiatsu.

Jinfu F. Jin, 44, of Algonquin, is accused of offering to perform a sex act for the officer who was in the business as part of an investigation into ongoing complaints about it from its neighbors and others.

The charge normally is a misdemeanor, but authorities upgraded it to a Class 4 felony because the business, Massage Co., in the 4000 block of West Algonquin Road, is near a child-care center. She was in custody Friday at the McHenry County jail, unable to post 10 percent of a $15,000 bond.

Police also are questioning a second woman working at the parlor, but she has not been charged at this time. A patron inside the business when police made the arrest was not charged because there was not enough evidence to prove he was doing something illegal, said Master Sgt. Tim Sebastian of the North Central Narcotics Task Force.

Sebastian said Algonquin police asked his agency to assist with an investigation launched in December after the department received numerous complaints of suspicious activity at the parlor, which is in a strip mall near the day care center, as well as an ice cream shop, karate school and cooking store.

"We performed surveillance and noticed it was all male clientele going in, which isn't illegal but it caught our attention," he said.

On Thursday evening, an undercover officer went into the business for a massage, during which, Sebastian said, Jin propositioned him. The officer left and task force agents later entered with a search warrant to arrest Jin. Officers also discovered condoms, lubricants and numerous items indicating both women made the business their residence as well as workplace, authorities said.

Calls to Massage Co. were not being answered Friday and a sign outside the business said it was closed.

Jin, Sebastian said, is a Chinese national who was in the country with a passport and visa. Because of the living arrangements inside the business, he added, the task force is working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to determine whether the women might be the victims of human trafficking.

The owner of the business, he said, has yet to be identified.

Jin, who is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 29, could be sentenced to one to three years in prison, or probation, if convicted of felony prostitution.