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San Francisco Closes Empire Relaxation Spa With $275,000 Settlement and 10-Year Bans

Stipulated judgments followed years of police and health probes that documented prostitution plus serious safety violations.

Overview

  • The City Attorney announced the settlement on Jan. 6, 2026, following San Francisco Superior Court approval on Dec. 18, 2025.
  • Owner Ricky A. Lee must pay $200,000 and is barred for 10 years from owning, managing, or working at massage or personal services businesses anywhere in California.
  • Property owners Deborah and Richard Bocci owe $75,000 and must prevent 428 O’Farrell St. from being used as a massage business or spa for the next decade.
  • Undercover operations dating to 2019 documented prostitution offers and nonconsensual genital touching, including an April 2024 complaint and a June 2025 SFPD decoy incident.
  • DPH cited 15 violations in February 2025, including missing human-trafficking notices, an apparent used condom, rodent droppings, unsanitary equipment, deteriorating tables, and unpermitted residential use.