Jury finds woman guilty of prostitution trafficking in Idaho Falls
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IDAHO FALLS — A 61-year-old woman was found guilty by a jury of trafficking a woman to Idaho Falls to engage in prostitution at a local hotel.
Following a five-day jury trial, Xue Fang Lu was found guilty on March 6 of felony interstate trafficking of prostitution and felony procurement of prostitution, related to an illegal massage business that was operated out of the Fairbridge Inn from March to May 2024.
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Another charge of felony human trafficking was dismissed by the court on March 3.
Lu’s sentencing is scheduled for May 13 in front of District Judge Brendon Taylor at the Bonneville County Courthouse. She could face up to 40 years in prison.
Gordan Dennis Shaw, 83, is also charged in this case with felony human trafficking, felony interstate trafficking prostitution, and felony procurement of prostitution. Shaw was an Idaho Falls Police officer in the 1990s. Shaw held several temporary employment positions at IFPD periodically afterward, the last of which ended in 2008.
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His case was temporarily closed in 2024 due to health issues Dennis was experiencing that would keep him from participating in his hearings.
It is not clear when or if his case will resume.
Background
According to testimony from a 2024 preliminary hearing, Idaho Falls Police received reports of an alleged illegal massage business that was a front for prostitution at the Fairbridge Inn.
Reporting parties said they saw social media advertisements for a massage business that were sexual in nature and advertised specific women and their services. An undercover IFPD detective contacted an employee at the business, identified as Lu, and scheduled a time to meet at the hotel under the guise of purchasing services from one of the women advertised.
The detective arrived at the hotel room, and was greeted by a woman who believed he was there to purchase prostitution services. Additional officers responded, and Lu was arrested.
According to a criminal complaint, Lu and Shaw “enticed (a woman) to come to Idaho Falls from California and then coerced into commercial sexual activity.”
Shaw was allegedly involved in procuring the women and providing them with transportation around Idaho Falls.