A federal grand jury in San Francisco has indicted 10 people who allegedly ran a network of 40 brothels throughout the Bay Area employing women trafficked primarily from Asian countries, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Oct. 23. 

Federal prosecutors said the defendants operated 30 brothels in cities including Pinole, San Mateo, Redwood City, Sunnyvale, Belmont, Fremont, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Foster City, San Bruno, Colma and South San Francisco from at least August 2002 through July 2014. 

Members of the enterprise also sent a number of outgoing wire transfers to Asian countries from at least March 4, 2004 to Oct. 3, 2013 to other members of the group and to known prostitutes. 

There were at least 23 such international wire transfers totaling $179,218 to Leow Wan Ru Veron, 54, an alleged recruiter of prostitutes in Singapore, and 20 totaling $109,300 to Chonthicha Jaemratanasophin, 48, an alleged prostitute living in Thailand.