Iowa City massage parlor owner accused of trying to influence witness in prostitution case

IOWA CITY — An owner of an Iowa City massage business, already charged with providing sex acts to clients, money laundering and other offenses, is now being accused of trying to influence a witness not to testify against her.

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Junping Ren, 56, of Iowa City, was charged Wednesday during her initial appearance with tampering with a witness. A judge ordered a $5,000 cash bail, which Ren paid and was released pending trial. A no contact order was also ordered against Ren to protect the victim.

According to a criminal complaint, Ren contacted the victim and his wife, more than once, between Oct. 4 and Dec. 7, attempting to influence their testimony against her. Ren sent text messages, threatening to come to his home. Ren also sent a text stating “There are receipts for the gift you give me.” Another text stated, “The check you gave me is just my money — it’s not money laundering.”

Ren also sent another message — “When police ask you, you have to protect me. You have done nothing wrong. You can say you don’t know anything they ask you,” the complaint stated.

On Dec. 7, Ren showed up at the victim’s church, sat next to his wife and asked her if she knew about the victim’s testimony and his involvement in Ren’s case, in an attempt to influence the victim and his relationship with his wife, court records state.

According to the complaint, Ren had been warned on Nov. 25 by police investigators to stop contacting witnesses in the case.

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In September, Ren and her husband, Zhenshi Liu, 60, who also owns the massage business, were charged with ongoing criminal conduct, money laundering, pimping, pandering for prostitution and prostitution.

Liu also was charged with third-degree sexual abuse, according to a complaint. He is accused of sexually assaulting a client May 1.

Their son, Yang Liu, of Hoover, Alabama, was also charged with ongoing criminal conduct and money laundering.

A joint investigation involving the Iowa City Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation found that between January 2020 and September 2025, Zhenshi Liu and Ren were providing prostitution services out of two massage parlors they owned in Iowa City.

Both businesses, called Paradise Spa, were located at 1901 Broadway St., Suite 2, and 805 S. First Ave., Suite 3.

According to criminal complaints, the female employees told police they worked seven days a week, more than 12 hours a day and were paid $70 per hour or per massage. Of that money, $40 went to Zhenshi Liu and Ren, and $10 was paid to the business for “room and board.”

The female workers were never seen by investigators outside the businesses in public, the complaint stated.

Multiple men were interviewed after leaving the parlors. They admitted to receiving sex acts from the workers, including from Zhenshi Liu and Ren, or reported being offered sex acts for an extra charge during their massage, according to complaints.

Ren and Zhenshi Liu have owned multiple other massage parlors in Iowa, and ads for Ren’s services were found on a website known for female escort services, according to complaints.

The couple also is accused of laundering $2.6 million from the massage parlors, with help from Yang Liu, who police say laundered $1.5 million through his personal accounts.

The couple mixed cash and check deposits to avoid transaction reporting requirements and made large purchases in cash — including two residential properties, costing $941,342.01 — in order to hide the proceeds of the parlors, complaints stated.

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