MISSOULA — Yanbin Bao was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in prison in what officials call Missoula County's first large-scale sex and labor trafficking conviction.
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Bao, 54 years old, received a 15-year sentence with five of the years suspended for operating an illicit massage business in Missoula.
"Fifteen years to the Montana State Prison, which effectively would be the women's Correctional facility, should be imposed of that 15 years, the court will suspend five years," Judge Leslie Halligan said during sentencing.
Bao previously owned Soul Massage in Missoula, located off Highway 93 south near Blue Mountain Road.
An investigation began in 2023 after a woman contacted police, reporting physical assault by Bao and her husband.
Two Missoula County Sheriff's Office detectives identified three victims that Bao had recruited and trafficked between April and May of 2023.
A jury convicted Bao on four counts of sex trafficking and one count of labor trafficking.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors pushed for an aggravated maximum sentence, while the defense requested a deferred sentence, citing Bao's status as an illegal immigrant.
Judge Halligan ultimately sentenced Bao to a concurrent jail term of 10 years minus 74 days for time already served.
"With regard to fines, I will impose a fine of $10,000 on the sex on count one. No other fines will be imposed," Halligan said.
The judge also ordered that upon release, Bao must obtain permission from a parole officer to open a business, and her electronics must be supervised due to her "course of conduct and potential for re-offense."
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