Happy-ending tanning: Salons busted for prostitution

November 19, 2:54 PMSeattle Crime ExaminerRob La Gatta & Mike Baldwin

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Three tanning salons in the Seattle area have been busted by federal agents for allegedly being merely fronts for a brothel.

Nguyen Tran Nguyen of Renton was arrested along with Donald K. Frey of California and three others for running prostution rings out of the stores.

Nguyen apparently made 70 flights over the last two years to bring prostitutes from both California and Texas.  Bguyen, who was also a prostitute managed the salons for Frey, who ran them under an umbrella organization.  They were busted as part of a two-year investigation.

One of the stores, the Avalon Spa on 95th and Aurora, was apparently so obviously a brothel that neighbors reacted with a sense of "it's about time."

"They busted them," the grinning woman said. "It's about time. I'm very pleased. It has been going on for too long."

To anyone who has lived in Seattle for more than a few months, it is no surprise that the area of Aurora where Avalon is located is a hotbed for the ladies of the night.  I'm sure the authorities will be lauding this as a victory over prostitution, but, in reality, this bust will do little to stop anything in that area.

If it's not a tanning salon, it'll be something else.  Good work on the bust, we'll hear from you again soon.