Las Vegas revokes licenses of two massage parlors

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, June 20, 2002 | 10:21 a.m.

Las Vegas officials hope new licensing requirements in the works for massage therapists will curb the type of illegal activity uncovered by Metro Police at two local businesses last month.

Metro Police revealed allegations of prostitution and work card violations at two Las Vegas massage businesses. This ultimately led the council to revoke the business licenses of Shu Qin O'Neil, owner of Golden Dragon on West Sahara, and Zhu H. Liu, president of Asiana Massage in Summerlin.

The revocation comes as the city is trying to adopt more stringent rules governing the massage industry in an attempt to weed out businesses that are fronts for prostitution. Other cities have taken a more liberal route, including Henderson, which recently approved an ordinance that allows outcalls by massage therapists of the opposite sex.

Vahan Tafralian, vice president and chief executive officer of Dahan Institute of Massage Studies, said the allegations uncovered at the two Las Vegas businesses damage the integrity of the industry.

"It's not fair that these people can and do use massage as a front," he said. "I think that is unfortunately a problem within our industry and one that we are trying to eradicate. To use massage as a front is really unscrupulous and we as a school and as professionals are actively trying to eliminate that from our industry."

O'Neil and Liu were granted temporary licenses by the council in February pending a six-month review. Questions over their applications ultimately led to the proposed changes in the way the city licenses massage establishments.

Council members Michael McDonald and Lynette Boggs McDonald expressed concerns in February about the women's request to stay open past regular operating hours. The council members denied the request to stay open later and later called for new rules to govern massage establishments.

"This is exactly what we did not want to see happen," McDonald said after hearing Metro's report. "This is not the type of business we want in the city of Las Vegas."

The two women disputed Metro's allegations, and their attorneys asked for the item to be delayed, but the council refused the request.

O'Neil's attorney maintained her client had left Golden Dragon in the hands of Liu while she was in China. According to Metro Police, Liu was arrested for solicitation of prostitution at Golden Dragon in May.

Liu's attorney said his client was being treated unfairly tainted by the allegations against O'Neal.

The ordinance, which is scheduled to go before the council next month, would put the licensing of all massage establishments in the hands of the city by requiring all new massage therapists, accupressurists and refloxologists to obtain a business license, rather than the typical work card issued by Metro Police.

By requiring people in the massage industry to obtain a business license, applicants would go through a more extensive background check compared to a local background check issued by Metro Police, city officials said.

The bill also gives the business license director authority to approve or deny a massage therapist license. Currently, the department is not involved in the process.

Tafralian said the new ordinance should weed out massage businesses that are fronts for prostitution.

"I'm all for whatever it takes to scrutinize the people and to make it so that it's a legitimate industry," he said.