Ellettsville Police shut down Bloomington massage parlor; 2 arrested following monthslong investigation - WTHR

[WTHR.com staff]

A 51-year-old male suspect was arrested in Virginia after police used a license plate reader and discovered he had a warrant out for his arrest from Indiana.



ELLETTSVILLE, Ind. — Two people are facing multiple felony charges and a massage parlor in Bloomington has been shut down by police following a monthslong police investigation.


According to a release from the Ellettsville Police Department, the department received an anonymous tip in mid-October of 2023 that a massage parlor located in the Richland Plaza in Bloomington was possibly selling sexual services.


Ellettsville police began conducting surveillance at the Sun Flower 99 Spa, located at 4631 West Richland Plaza Drive in Bloomington. During the investigation, police identified a 51-year-old Evansville man as one of the prime suspects.


(NOTE: 13News has a policy not to name suspects until formal charges are filed by a prosecutor.)


On March 30, police in Virginia arrested the 51-year-old suspect after his car was detected by a license plate reader. Virginia police were notified that the suspect was wanted on a warrant out of Indiana. Police say he is being held at a regional detention center on a no bond extradition warrant. He is awaiting extradition back to Monroe County.


Police say the suspect is preliminarily charged with two counts of prostitution, corrupt business influence, possession of child pornography, failure to collect or remit the proper amount of sales tax and failure to provide requested tax documents — all felonies. He also faces five misdemeanor charges of prostitution as well as one misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of an Eastern Box Turtle.


Additionally, police also arrested a 43-year-old woman on preliminary felony charges of promoting prostitution, corrupt business influence and prostitution.


The Monroe County Prosecutor will make the final charging decision.