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Police Bust Collingwood's Zheng Salon for Prostitution Activity

A Zheng Salon employee in Collingswood provided customers with sexual favors in exchange for money, authorities said. Collingswood Police conducted a sting on the Haddon Avenue business Wednesday afternoon.

 

Customers at Zheng Salon on Haddon Avenue were offered more than the advertised massage, waxing and nails services, according to police. One employee stands accused of providing sexual favors to patrons in exchange for money.

Two women were escorted quietly from Zheng Salon just before 2 p.m. Wednesday after police executed a search warrant there for suspected prostitution activity.

Collingswood Police charged one of the women—Rong Chen, 48, of Philadelphia—with promoting prostitution. She was charged and released with a court date of Dec. 22, police said.

The other woman was taken into custody, but has not been charged.

"The investigation is ongoing," said Lt. Glenn Prince.

Against a backdrop of Christmas music piped in from the downtown public address system, Collingswood Police detectives and officers from the Camden County Prosecutor's Office executed a search warrant on Zheng Salon. Detectives launched an investigation a week ago after receiving a tip about illicit activities at the salon.

Collingswood "License and Inspection officials are conducting a review of the business at this time and Zheng Salon is currently closed," the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. 

Zheng Salon advertises "nails, waxing, facials, massage" at its 721 Haddon Ave. storefront. Neighbors said they've made calls to police about the shop, including complaints about its front window display. 

One woman who declined to give her name called the salon "shady. I knew something was going on there," she said.

The prostitution allegations came as no surprise to Marlene Gagliardi, owner of Marlene's Dress Shop down the block from Zheng Salon. She's made several calls to nuisance officers about the salon, including complaints about the window display. 

"Anything to clean up Collingswood, that's what I say," Gagliardi said as she stood outside watching officers execute the search warrant. 

Stay with Collingswood Patch for more details on the prostitution arrest at Zheng Salon. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. The last update occurred at 5:05 p.m., Dec. 14. 

Related Topics: Collingswood prostitution bust, Prostitution, Zheng Salon, collingswood police, and rong chen

Unhappy Colls Resident

2:41 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Collingswood, it's where you want to be!~

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Crystal Garrick

2:42 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011

This place was SO sketchy. Very happy to see action on this!

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Porterincollingswood

3:00 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Well, we all complained about the gaudy signs in the windows...I guess they had to find other ways to make money.

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michael zsirai

3:46 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011

....great job to the colls police department for keeping colls a safe and fun family experience!!!

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Lauren Burgoon

5:39 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Rong Chen's name. It has been updated to the correct spelling.

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Max

6:36 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I'm glad they busted the Salon for prostitution. I knew something was awakred going on at that location. However, Marlene has no room to talk about bad window displays. Have you seen her gaudy window fashion displays, she should be busted just for that.

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Joe Colls

7:46 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I agree with Max women with bad window displays shouldn't throw stones. They built Total Image and the Avenue mall, and neither look at all like original storefronts in Collingswood. Do they even live here to comment on other people?

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Sandra Williams Hawco

7:42 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

Marlene's window got ur attention! That means its working!! Are either of u trying to earn a living with a business on the Ave? Enough said, stop hating and get a life!!!

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Max

8:22 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

Sandra, actually I am so stop being so defensive

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libsrsic

8:43 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

What was the window display in the Salon?

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Porterincollingswood

10:42 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tacky sign - was pretty much a bigger version of what is still in the window now. Think "Suit Corner" at 3rd and Market on a smaller scale.

Joe Colls

8:55 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

The display is not the point. They busted a prostitution ring which is great! But all she had to say was something about their window displays? Really? Business must be slow!

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Porterincollingswood

10:41 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

I'd say the boutique is doing pretty well, since she upgraded the space. I haven't seen many businesses doing that in this economy. And doesn't she own the other dress shop that is going into the old space across the street?

I'd like to hear from the poor shmuck who asked his wife for a Zheng gift card for Christmas. Because you know it happened.

Carolyn Busa

10:19 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

Pretty sure Marlene's exceeds the amount of neon allowed in Collingswood.
RIP Zheng. Nice work Colls.

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Gray

10:53 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

The only good thing about Marlene's upgraded space is that the tackiness of the building and decor better matches the tackiness of the fashions she's selling. Both look like they are stuck in 1985.

Bottom line, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

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Shirley

4:14 pm on Friday, December 16, 2011

Marlene's stock and the building facade may not be your taste but rude comments are never in good taste. Your comment was not germane to the issue.

Porterincollingswood

11:02 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

It would seem that the "Wild West" style vacuum place next to Verizon has fallen in - the back of the structure collapsed and actually some of it is now against the vacant Lumberyard sales office. We should be trying to get that taken care of, as it is both unsightly AND dangerous.

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Unhappy Colls Resident

12:40 pm on Thursday, December 15, 2011

That Wild West vacuum place was a viable business until our redeveloper/mayor closed them down so he could put up the lumberyard fiasco. Of course I am sure the condition of the building is not his "fault" - he just wipes his hands of everything.

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