The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged members of a San Jose family with running a network of brothels in Santa Clara County that were trafficking dozens of women and bringing in about a million dollars per year.

Multiple co-defendants are facing felonies involving their operation of a network of at least 10 commercial sex brothels in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, San Jose, Cupertino and Mountain View, according to an announcement today by the District Attorney’s Office.

In a coordinated effort, law enforcement arrested Joseph and Binghua Bresee, a married couple at the heart of the illegal business, which operated under the legal cover of “massage parlors.” One of their adult children was also charged. The DA’s Office seized or froze over $1.25 million of is alleged to be illegal profits from the sex businesses.

Investigators nicknamed the multi-agency investigation – which included DA investigators, the FBI and local police departments – was nicknamed “Operation Family Ties.”

The Bresees and their co-conspirators are charged with 26 felonies including criminal conspiracy, pimping, money laundering and tax fraud. At the arraignment on Dec. 5,, Judge Hector Ramon set bail for Binghua Bresee, 52, Joseph Bresee, 77, and Binghua’s son, Jiabao Huang, 30, at $1 million each. An additional co-conspirator was arrested under suspicion of running money for one of the brothels. All of the defendants face prison time, if convicted.

“The trafficking of human beings has no place in our community, or any other,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.. “Modern slavery is morally and legally wrong and will be met with no toleration and – as you can see by the agencies cooperating in this operation – the strictest legal accountability.”

The investigation began in June 2025 when a Morgan Hill police officer became suspicious of one of the defendants applying to open a massage parlor under another individual’s name.

Further investigation uncovered the size of the operation – which included an operating brothel in Hayward. The operation culminated in search warrants and arrests on Dec. 3. The investigation remains ongoing.

The DA’s Victim Services Unit, Community Solutions and YWCA offered resources to the 18 workers who were recovered during the service of the search warrants. Over 40 different women were identified in the course of the investigation.

Investigators said many women engage in commercial sex work because their autonomy is constrained by factors like poverty and immigration status. “This work can lead to crimes such as assault, homicide, and rape. It is a crime to solicit, encourage, assist with or make money from commercial sex work,” the DA’s office said.

If someone needs help and wants to connect with services and resources related to human trafficking in Santa Clara, call the 24-hour confidential hotline at (877) 363-7238. To report human trafficking to law enforcement, call (408) 792-2700 or email

ht****@da*.org











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The multi-agency operation involved dozens of law enforcement officers, including personnel from the DA’s Office and task forces, the FBI, the Department of State, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the Gilroy Police Department, the Mountain View Police Department and the Hayward Police Department.

The investigation began in June 2025 when a Morgan Hill police officer became suspicious of one of the defendants applying to open up a massage parlor under another individual’s name.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged members of a San Jose family with running a network of brothels in Santa Clara County that were trafficking dozens of women and bringing in about a million dollars per year.

Multiple co-defendants are facing felonies involving their operation of a network of at least 10 commercial sex brothels in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, San Jose, Cupertino and Mountain View, according to an announcement today by the District Attorney’s Office.

In a coordinated effort, law enforcement arrested Joseph and Binghua Bresee, a married couple at the heart of the illegal business, which operated under the legal cover of “massage parlors.” One of their adult children was also charged. The DA’s Office seized or froze over $1.25 million of is alleged to be illegal profits from the sex businesses.

Investigators nicknamed the multi-agency investigation – which included DA investigators, the FBI and local police departments – was nicknamed “Operation Family Ties.”

The Bresees and their co-conspirators are charged with 26 felonies including criminal conspiracy, pimping, money laundering and tax fraud. At the arraignment on Dec. 5,, Judge Hector Ramon set bail for Binghua Bresee, 52, Joseph Bresee, 77, and Binghua’s son, Jiabao Huang, 30, at $1 million each. An additional co-conspirator was arrested under suspicion of running money for one of the brothels. All of the defendants face prison time, if convicted.

“The trafficking of human beings has no place in our community, or any other,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.. “Modern slavery is morally and legally wrong and will be met with no toleration and – as you can see by the agencies cooperating in this operation – the strictest legal accountability.”

The investigation began in June 2025 when a Morgan Hill police officer became suspicious of one of the defendants applying to open up a massage parlor under another individual’s name.

Further investigation uncovered the size of the operation – which included an operating brothel in Hayward. The operation culminated in search warrants and arrests on Dec. 3. The investigation remains ongoing.

The DA’s Victim Services Unit, Community Solutions and YWCA offered resources to the 18 workers who were recovered during the service of the search warrants. Over 40 different women were identified in the course of the investigation.

Investigators said many women engage in commercial sex work because their autonomy is constrained by factors like poverty and immigration status. “This work can lead to crimes such as assault, homicide, and rape. It is a crime to solicit, encourage, assist with or make money from commercial sex work,” the DA’s office said.

If someone needs help and wants to connect with services and resources related to human trafficking in Santa Clara, call the 24-hour confidential hotline at (877) 363-7238. To report human trafficking to law enforcement, call (408) 792-2700 or email

ht****@da*.org











.

The multi-agency operation involved dozens of law enforcement officers, including personnel from the DA’s Office and task forces, the FBI, the Department of State, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the Gilroy Police Department, the Mountain View Police Department and the Hayward Police Department.