photo by: Nick Gerik

Serenity Health Spa, 2201 W 25th St., Suite M, is pictured Tuesday, June 5, 2018.

A woman who operated a prostitution business out of massage parlors in Lawrence and Topeka was sentenced to probation on Wednesday in federal court in Topeka.

In addition to serving three years on probation, Weiling Nielsen, 54, agreed to pay a $650,000 judgment representing proceeds from her crimes, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said in a news release after her sentencing.

Nielsen owned and operated Naima Asian Massage and Serenity Health Spa in Lawrence, as well as Jasmine Massage in Topeka, according to the release.

She previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, after initially being charged in U.S. District Court in Kansas with over a half-dozen other counts, including money laundering stemming from the prostitution.

In her plea, Nielsen admitted her massage parlors provided sexual services to customers for payment in cash, according to McAllister’s news release. She and others advertised the services on the internet, and Nielsen and her husband deposited cash into various bank accounts and purchased money orders for deposit in bank accounts in California.

Lawrence’s Serenity Health Spa was located at 2201 W. 25th St., suite M. At the time of Nielsen’s indictment, the Journal-World was not able to find an address listing for Naima Asian Massage.

Nielsen and her husband operated Naima Asian Massage from 2010 to 2015 and Serenity Health Spa from 2015 until being indicted, according to the indictment, unsealed in June 2018. They operated the Topeka business from 2007 to 2015.

Wednesday’s news release did not include information about cases against Nielsen’s husband, Erik Nielsen, or other massage operators listed in related federal grand jury indictments unsealed at the same time.