Clarkstown Uses Undercover Officers To Expose And Shutter Illegal Massage Parlors, Brothels - Rockland County Business Journal

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Violations of Town Code and State Penal Code Support Closure Of Multiple Brothels Operating In Bardonia, Congers​

LEGAL BEAT

Both prostitution and the unlicensed practice of massage are illegal in Clarkstown, and town officials have turned to the Court to close down four establishments it alleges are practicing both.

Clarkstown last week filed a lawsuit in Rockland County Supreme Court seeking to close down HMS Cosmetic Inc, an establishment it says is offering both illegal massage and sexual conduct for a fee at 159 Route 304 in Bardonia.

Clarkstown also filed a lawsuit against Happy Spa 46, Oasis Day Spa, operating at 44-46 Lake Road in Congers and Great King Spa at 16 North Route 9W in Congers, alleging these facilities, controlled by Juan Carlos Iglesias, are offering unlicensed massage and prostitution services to the public.



Iglesias is the owner of Iglesias Real Estate Holdings of NY (owner of 44-46 Lake Road) and serves as president of Snow Church Realty Corporation (owner of 16 North Route 9W). Casmac Associates is the owner of 159 Route 304 in Bardonia.

The complaints, filed against both the owners of the properties and the massage parlor tenants, seek closing orders to abate a “serious public nuisance.”

In Bardonia, undercover police officers went to the facility on two separate occasions last November where they say workers agreed to provide a full-body massage and “manual stimulation of genitals” for fees ranging from $60 to $100.

Two officers, in nearly identical affidavits, said while receiving their full-body massages, the masseuse made a “gesture” suggesting an offer of a sexual act in exchange for more money.

In Congers, undercover officers visited the spa facilities multiple times over a period of several months, and were offered genital stimulation for between $60 and $140. Over five visits, officers received full body massages and in four of the instances, received “gestures” offering genital manipulation. In one instance, the undercover officer says the masseuse asked him how much he normally paid for genital manipulation, the officer responded $100. He also states the masseuse “accepted the $100 payment for the stated genital manipulation.”

Offering massage services without a license and engaging in prostitution are violative of the town code. The Town charges the continued operations are “criminal nuisances.” The complaints says the owners/occupants’ certificates of occupancy do not allow for use of the premises for massage, or for the maintenance of a brothel.



The Town claims that unless the operations are closed, the Town will be irreparably harmed and it has no other adequate remedy at law. It asks the Court to grant permanent injunctions against the current use and removal of the operators at each location.

In Bardonia, the premises at 159 Route 304 has a history of providing illegal massage and prostitution services. In 2014, the Clarkstown Police and the District Attorney’s Special Victims and Community Prosecution closed down a similar operation at this address called the Z Green Spa along with several other similar operations in Clarkstown and Nyack.

Snow Church Realty, the owner of 16 North Route 9W (Great King Spa) has an application pending before the Town of Clarkstown Planning Board to build a three story-senior housing development with twelve one-bedroom units on the property it owns at 36 North Route 9W in Congers, just north of the Great King Spa.

Rockland County has been using the “public nuisance” doctrine since 2014 where a fine of $1,000 per day was imposed against New City Spa that operated at 55-71 South Main Street in New City. The fine amassed to $800,000 over the life of the lawsuit for violation of the County’s public nuisance law.

No court dates have been set in either of the cases.