A Singaporean woman convicted of operating a prostitution network in the United States has been added to a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) list identifying foreign nationals with serious criminal records, making her the third Singaporean to appear on the list.
Jing Emtage, 54, was arrested in May 2023 together with her husband, Gerald Emtage, following a two-year investigation into a massage parlour suspected of being involved in prostitution.
The investigation eventually expanded to nine massage parlours across four counties in Washington state, according to US authorities.
Law enforcement officers said 23 women were rescued during the operation after authorities determined that they had been trafficked and forced to provide sexual services. Officers also recovered more than US$600,000 in cash during searches connected to the investigation.
From massage businesses to a wider investigation
Emtage had previously operated a massage therapy business in Singapore before moving to the US in January 2018.
According to her sentencing memorandum, she initially established a legitimate massage business with her husband. The couple later turned to illegal activities after their business suffered financial difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors presented a different account in court.
They said the couple had generated significant profits by exploiting women working at their massage parlours. The women were reportedly housed at the businesses, while Emtage and her husband lived separately in a home valued at more than US$1 million.
Prosecutors also said more than US$1 million had passed through the couple’s bank accounts, while investigators found no records showing that wages had been paid to the women.
When authorities arrested the couple in 2023, they found more than US$600,000 in cash.
Emtage sentenced in 2025
Emtage was convicted and sentenced to two years and two months in prison on July 25, 2025.
Her husband, Gerald Emtage, 49, received a 38-month prison sentence.
After completing her sentence, Jing Emtage remained in US immigration custody while awaiting deportation proceedings. In August 2026, the Seattle office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said she was being held at an ICE processing facility in Washington.
The latest DHS listing places her among foreign nationals the department has identified under its “worst of worst criminal aliens” initiative.
The list was launched in December 2025 and catalogues foreign nationals whom the US administration identifies as criminal offenders who have been arrested since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Third Singaporean named
Emtage is the third Singaporean to appear on the DHS list.
The first was Amos Yee, who was added when the list was launched. Yee was convicted in the US of child pornography and sexual grooming offences and was deported to Singapore in March 2026 after serving his prison sentence.
The second Singaporean, Lim Seok Pheng, was added in February 2026. She was arrested in connection with suspected money laundering and later provided information to US authorities that contributed to prosecutions involving individuals accused of laundering money for Mexican drug cartels.
The inclusion of Emtage on the list comes after the conclusion of the criminal proceedings against her in the US and as she remains subject to immigration proceedings.
Her case also highlights the distinction between a criminal sentence and subsequent immigration action: serving a prison term does not necessarily end immigration proceedings for a foreign national convicted of a crime in the United States.
For Emtage, the next stage is therefore expected to involve her immigration status and potential deportation rather than another criminal trial over the prostitution-related offences for which she has already been sentenced.
The investigation into the massage businesses involved multiple law-enforcement agencies and resulted in the closure of nine establishments, while authorities said 23 women were rescued from the operation.
