Massage parlor’s occupancy permit suspended in Murrysville

Murrysville officials this week moved to keep a massage parlor from potentially reopening after its owner was charged as part of a yearlong investigation into prostitution and other alleged crimes.

A statewide grand jury last month alleged that young Asian women working at five parlors in Monroeville and Murrysville were part of a human trafficking ring forced to perform sex acts.

“There are provisions for our code enforcement officer to suspend an occupancy permit if a business owner is charged, which these owners were,” Murrysville Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said. “And if they are found guilty, it can be revoked.”

Murrysville council members on Wednesday voted to suspend the occupancy permit of a Tokyo Massage location on Route 22. The suspension means that the business cannot reopen as a massage parlor, Morrison said.

Hui Xu, 44, of Mt. Pleasant owned and operated that location as well as three other Tokyo Massage parlors where prostitution was occurring, according to the grand jury. She is the widow of Henry “Sonny” Caruso, 49, a veteran guard at the Westmoreland County Prison who committed suicide in November after being suspended from his job as a result of the ongoing investigation.

Others accused of participating in the operation are Chang Yu Chen, 51, of Monroeville, who was described as a handyman and manager at the parlors; Huicun Wei, 47, of Flushing, N.Y., whom Attorney General Josh Shapiro and state police identified as the owner and manager at Judy’s Oriental Massage Parlor in Murrysville; and Robert Delano Yerick, 83, of Delmont, who was described as an administrator and handyman.

Morrison added that the lease on a second Tokyo Massage location, on Old William Penn Highway, has been revoked by the property owner as a result of the charges.

Preliminary hearings in the criminal case are scheduled for April 12.