Kansas City, Mo. ? A Chinese woman in the U.S. on an asylum application for religious persecution has been sentenced to eight years for running a prostitution ring out of massage parlors.

A tearful Ling Xu apologized to prosecutors, U.S. District Judge Fernando Gaitan Jr. and her defense attorney for breaking the law.

She and two others pleaded guilty last year to coercing Asian employees to engage in prostitution at two Overland Park, Kan., massage parlors and at a nearby residence.

Xu, her boyfriend and her son admitted operating China Rose Massage and China Villa Massage, where women were brought in to provide massages and sex.