VENTURA, Calif. — Four members of a family-run criminal enterprise have been convicted by a Ventura County jury for operating a multi-city commercial sex ring and laundering illicit profits through complex real estate and banking transactions, prosecutors announced.
Click here to view the official Ventura County District Attorney's Office press release regarding the conviction of the Ma family criminal enterprise.
The guilty verdicts were announced by Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko following a lengthy jury trial stemming from criminal case number 2020033841.
The convicted defendants were identified as enterprise ringleader Xiangwei Ma, 56, of Simi Valley; her husband Ming Ma, 40, of Oxnard; her brother Xiangdong Ma, 54, of Hacienda Heights; and her sister Li Ma, 60, of Oxnard.
All four defendants were immediately remanded into custody without bail following the jury's decision.
Decade-Long Exploitation, Front Businesses, and Whistleblower Letters
According to trial evidence and prosecution reports, the multi-agency law enforcement investigation was launched in 2020 after authorities received anonymous whistleblower complaints alleging human trafficking and prostitution at storefront massage parlors.
Investigative units targeted specific front businesses including Miracle Massage in Ventura and A+ Massage in Port Hueneme.
Investigators established that the Ma family operated the illicit sex ring for over ten years. The defendants recruited and exploited foreign national women from China, forcing them into commercial sex work while masking the locations as legitimate therapeutic massage parlors.
The ringleader, Xiangwei Ma, previously served an 18-month prison sentence for attempted pandering in Los Angeles County. During her incarceration, her family members continued managing the massage fronts. Upon her release, Xiangwei Ma resumed leading the enterprise using "straw" owners to conceal her identity on business registrations and real estate deeds, including a residential property on Crowne Oak Lane in Simi Valley.
Laundering Networks, Asset Forfeiture, and Specific Convictions
Financially, the enterprise routed millions in cash proceeds through bank accounts, life insurance policies, casinos, and real estate transactions. A fifth co-conspirator, Jaime Calderon (husband of Li Ma), previously pleaded guilty to felony money laundering on August 11, 2023, and served a jail sentence.
Under organized criminal activity statutes, the jury's findings establish the legal basis for the mandatory forfeiture of more than $1.25 million in seized currency, bank accounts, and cash values from life insurance policies.
The jury returned the following felony convictions and aggravating factors:
- Xiangwei Ma (Ringleader): Convicted of Pimping (PC § 266h(a)), Mortgage Fraud (PC § 532f(a)(1)), and nine counts of Money Laundering (PC § 186.10(a)). True findings were returned for high sophistication, transactions exceeding $150,000, and serving a prior prison term.
- Xiangdong Ma: Convicted of Pimping (PC § 266h(a)) and five counts of Money Laundering (PC § 186.10(a)), with true findings for planning/sophistication and transactions over $150,000.
- Li Ma: Convicted of Pimping (PC § 266h(a)) and one count of Money Laundering (PC § 186.10(a)), with true findings for planning/sophistication and transactions over $150,000.
- Ming Ma: Convicted of Pimping (PC § 266h(a)) and two counts of Money Laundering (PC § 186.10(a)), with true findings for planning/sophistication and transactions over $150,000.
"We are deeply grateful to the jurors for the extraordinary time, care, and hard work they devoted to this case," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Rikole Kelly. "We also recognize the victim’s courage in testifying despite her fear, and the investigators whose years of persistent work brought this case to justice."
"Illicit massage businesses are often fronts for human trafficking and pimping where victims are coerced into performing commercial sex work," District Attorney Erik Nasarenko added. "This case demonstrates our commitment to use the full weight of this office to hold these offenders accountable."
Upcoming Sentencing Dates and Landlord Engagement Program
The defendants are scheduled for formal sentencing in Ventura County Superior Court as follows:
- Xiangwei Ma: October 23, 2026 (Faces up to 17 years in state prison)
- Xiangdong Ma: October 23, 2026 (Faces up to 13 years in state prison)
- Li Ma: November 2, 2026 (Faces up to 8 years, 8 months in state prison)
- Ming Ma: November 4, 2026 (Faces up to 11 years, 4 months in state prison)
The District Attorney's Office highlighted its ongoing Landlord Engagement Program, created in partnership with the Ventura Police Department and the Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force. The program works directly with commercial property owners to educate them on illicit massage fronts and pursue legal remedies to prevent human traffickers from operating within the county.
Community members with information regarding suspected illicit massage businesses are urged to contact local law enforcement. Official court advisories are published on the Ventura County District Attorney's Office Newsroom.