Woman accused of Seattle-area brothel conspiracy

A federal grand jury has indicted a woman on a charge of conspiring to transport women from Southeast Asia to the Seattle area to work in brothels.

Federal agents arrested Chomphoonut Dongird on Thursday.

The indictment alleges Dongird has operated three brothels disguised as massage parlors in Kirkland, Bellevue and SeaTac, and that she brought women from Thailand and California to work as masseuses, performing sex acts as part of the job.

Dongird, a Thai national who is a legal U.S. resident, pleaded not guilty Friday at a magistrate hearing, and was ordered held pending a detention hearing next week.

If found guilty, she faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.