You are reading

Flushing Couple Indicted for Sex Trafficking Two Women From Korea

(iStock)

March 11, 2021 By Allie Griffin

A Flushing couple has been indicted on sex trafficking charges for allegedly bringing two women into the country from Korea and forcing them into prostitution, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today.

Jung Ja Ornstein, 62, and Eric Ornstein, 49, allegedly arranged the transportation of the two women from Korea to the U.S. and then forced them to repay their debt through sex work.

  • In 2015, one of the victims read an advertisement in Korea that promised that she could make money in America.

    She called the phone number listed and was told that they would help her get into the U.S., where she would work in the restaurant industry. She was required to pay back $10,000 for the transportation and assistance in obtaining a passport as part of the deal, according to the charges.

    When the woman arrived at JFK Airport, she was met by Jung Ja Ornstein who took her to an address on Steinway Street in Astoria. She was told that she would repay her debt as a prostitute, the charges state.

    The Ornsteins allegedly forced the woman to have sex with strangers for money at the location. Eric Ornstein found the customers and the couple collected the cash, according to the charges.

    Jung Ja Ornstein also allegedly took the woman’s passport and gave it to her husband. The couple returned her passport about two years later in March 2017 and left the victim alone, according to the complaint.

    Another victim responded to a similar ad in Korea in 2001 and was told she would need to pay back $10,000 in exchange for the transportation to America, Katz said.

    When she arrived in the country, her passport was also taken away and she was forced to work at a bar, where she was only allowed to keep her tips and had to pay for her room and board, according to the charges.

    After about a year working at the bar, the woman’s debt was purchased by another woman who made her work in a massage parlor. Eventually, the woman was forced to work for the Ornsteins.

    The couple took her to the same Steinway Street location where she was also forced to have sex with strangers in exchange for money. She was allowed to keep her tips but the couple pocketed the rest.

    • Jung Ja Ornstein allegedly threatened the woman when she expressed that she wanted to leave. She allegedly told her: “You have to work, you owe money. You think I won’t find you?” according to the complaint.

      Eric Ornstein would yell and break things if the victims did not earn enough money. He was often seen carrying a metal pipe, Katz said.

      The woman worked for the couple at several different massage parlors and in 2017, they told her that  her debt was paid and returned her passport, according to the complaint.

      Then, about three years later in 2020, the Orensteins found the woman and told her she still had a bill to pay. The woman, fearing for her safety and reputation, handed over $8,500 of her savings to the couple, Katz said.

      “I created the Human Trafficking Bureau in the DA’s Office to combat this very problem,” Katz said in a statement. “These two defendants are accused of purposely bringing two women to Queens from Korea and forcing them into the sex trade industry.”

      Both Jung Ja and Eric Ornstein were arraigned at Queens Supreme Court on an 18-count indictment charging them with sex trafficking, promoting prostitution and grand larceny among other charges. Both must return to court Friday.

      If convicted, they both face 25 years in prison each.

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

LaGuardia’s new Terminal B wins major awards from two leading environmental organizations

Jun. 2, 2023 By Bill Parry

Not only is the finished product aesthetically pleasing to the eye that presents a vast improvement for traveler experience, the new $4 billion Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport is also a model of sustainability for such large-scale construction projects in the future. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the developer and manager of Terminal B, on June 2 announced that the completed project has won prestigious awards from two leading international environmental institutions.

Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade honors fallen heroes

May. 30, 2023 By Gabriele Holtermann

Rain or shine, the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade, touted as the largest Memorial Day parade in the United States, has been a staple of the quaint Queens neighborhoods since 1927. Thousands lined the parade route under clear blue sky along Northern Boulevard from Jayson Avenue in Great Neck to 245th Street in Douglaston on May 29 to honor the brave men and women who answered their call to service and made the ultimate sacrifice while defending their country.