MEDFORD — Several men charged with paying for sex through a Cambridge-area brothel ring appeared in court for the first time Friday, where they pleaded not guilty and were released on personal recognizance.
The arraignments in Cambridge District Court moved in assembly-line fashion, with the prosecutor listing the dates the men allegedly paid for sex, followed by a not guilty plea being recorded for the defendant and the judge ordering their release.
The men quickly left the courthouse without speaking to reporters.
Defense attorney Benjamin Urbelis, who represents several of the men arraigned Friday, emphasized that his clients have not been convicted of any crime.
“All my clients entered not guilty pleas today,” he said. “They remain innocent under the law. They were released on their own recognizance, they have no record, and they’re not public figures.”
The following men pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge that carries a maximum sentence of one year in the county House of Correction and/or a $500 fine:
David LaCava, 46, of Waltham, allegedly requested sex on several occasions from April 2023 to November 2023. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date was set for June 13.
Paul J. Urban Jr., 62, of West Bridgewater, allegedly sought commercial sex on several occasions between January and November 2023. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. He is due in court July 22.
Yihong Zou, 30, of Boston, allegedly sought commercial sex on several occasions. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is July 22.
Mark Zhu, 29, of Lincoln, allegedly sought commercial sex between October 2022 and November 2023. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date was set for July 22.
Zhu’s attorney, Steven Goldwyn, asked for the case to be resolved by placing his client on pretrial probation. No immediate action was taken by the judge.
Matthew E. Fulton, 64, of Belmont, allegedly sought commercial sex on several occasions. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date was set for July 22.
Jeffrey Henry, 48, of Exeter, N.H., allegedly sought commercial sex on several occasions. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is July 22.
Steven Riel, 70, of Laconia, N.H., allegedly sought commercial sex on several occasions. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is July 22.
Jason Z. Han, 29, of Roxbury, allegedly sought commercial sex from February 2022 to October 2023. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is July 22.
Patrick Walsh, 66, of Swampscott, allegedly sought commercial sex from April 2023 to October 2023. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is July 22.
Kerry H. Wu, 54 of Natick, allegedly sought commercial sex. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is July 22.
Timothy Ackerson, 46, of Waltham, allegedly sought commercial sex from January 2023 to November 2023. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is July 22.
Suran Chelian, 47, of Lexington, allegedly sought commercial sex. He pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is July 22.
The men were allegedly identified as customers of the brothel ring, which shuttled exploited women between luxury apartments in Cambridge, Watertown, and the Washington, D.C. area.
The operators of the brothel were prosecuted in federal court, while cases against the alleged customers were referred to Cambridge police and Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan’s office to investigate and prosecute, records show.
The case drew national headlines after prosecutors said the operation’s thorough bookkeeping allowed them to identify many of the men who had allegedly paid for sex.
A protracted legal fight ensued as the men identified as alleged customers asked the state’s Supreme Judicial Court to allow show-cause hearings to proceed behind closed doors. The SJC denied that request.
On Tuesday, lawyers for 25 men accused of being customers asked the court to postpone their arraignments. All were jointly denied by Judge David E. Frank.
Authorities have said that the women working in the brothels were exploited by the ring’s operators and the alleged clients. Many were Asian, spoke little English, and in some instances were living in the United States illegally.
During the show-cause hearings that led to Friday’s arraignments, Cambridge Police Lieutenant Jarred Cabral described how the brothel ran.
Text exchanges between its operators and alleged clients are quick and businesslike, with “pleases,” “thank yous,” and even a “have a great day.” The men request certain women, often by stage name, agreeing to spend hundreds of dollars for a “girlfriend experience” over the course of an hour. They typically called the payment a “donation,” as is common in the sex trade, Cabral said.
The men were directed to the entrance of an apartment complex and asked to send a text message to be buzzed in. They were not to linger in the hallway, the brothel operators warned; go straight to the room, but if there are other people around, hang back by the stairs or elevator. Once inside, don’t make off-the-books deals with the women, or else you will be banned, they were instructed.
Material from previous Globe stories was used in this article.
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