JOSHUA WOLFSON Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 12:00 am
The final defendant charged in connection with a January raid on Tokyo Massage admitted Tuesday to helping run the brothel and having sex for money there.
June Wilhelmi, 60, dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she pleaded guilty in Natrona County District Court to prostitution and promoting prostitution. She entered the pleas as part of a deal with prosecutors, who agreed they would seek a jail sentence of no more than two years.
The Minnesota resident could have faced more than three years behind bars if she had gone to trial and been convicted.
Until Tuesday, Wilhelmi was the only one of the four original Tokyo Massage defendants whose case hadn't been resolved. The other three defendants - madam Kyong Stodolka, worker Ken Robertson and prostitute Okki Shoffler - had either made their own plea deals or been convicted at trial.
"It's pretty close to the end," Natrona County District Attorney Michael Blonigen said.
Several johns have also been convicted of soliciting prostitution at the massage parlor, which had operated along U.S. Highway 20/26 west of Mills for decades. The Natrona County Sheriff's Office shut the business down in January following a multi-agency investigation that spanned several months.
Wilhelmi's case took longer to move through the legal system than the other defendants' because prosecutors filed a new charge against her three months after her arrest. The new charge effectively restarted the court process.
That charge - receiving and concealing property obtained in violation of the law - and a single count of conspiracy were dismissed as part of the plea deal.
In contrast to past hearings, Wilhelmi did not use a Korean interpreter to answer questions. Her attorney, Wade Redmon, said his client had sufficient English skills to understand the proceedings.
According to the plea deal, prosecutors can argue for a maximum prison sentence of 18 to 24 months, said Assistant District Attorney Joshua Stensaas. Wilhelmi's sentencing, before Judge Thomas Sullins, won't likely happen for a few months.
Wilhelmi spoke with investigators after they searched Tokyo Massage in January and identified Stodolka as the parlor's madam. She also said she had served as the acting madam while Stodolka was away in the spring of 2007.
After pleading guilty, Wilhelmi answered a series of questions about her role in the prostitution operation. When asked, she agreed she had worked as a prostitute and also helped the madam run the business.
Wilhelmi remains free on $20,000 bond pending sentencing.
Reach crime reporter Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com. Read his blog at tribtown.trib.com/JoshuaWolfson/blog.