Ventura County family convicted in sex trafficking ring

Four members of a family have been convicted for operating a large-scale commercial sex and money laundering enterprise across Ventura County, California. The operation, which lasted for more than a decade, utilized massage parlors as fronts for criminal activity.

According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Xiangwei Ma acted as the ringleader. The convicted individuals include her husband Ming Ma, her brother Xiangdong Ma, her sister Li Ma, and Jaime Calderon. Investigators found that the group recruited and exploited foreign nationals from China.

To conceal the substantial proceeds generated by the enterprise, the conspirators moved funds through various financial institutions, real estate transactions, casinos, and life insurance policies.