UES Spa Accused Of Selling Sex Shut Down By NYPD

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — An unassuming spa tucked beneath the sidewalk on East 86th Street has been shut down by the NYPD after city officials accused it of operating as a prostitution hub earlier this month.

City officials filed the case in the Manhattan Supreme Court, targeting the building at 435 East 86th St., its owner Halamas Corp., and the unnamed operators of the spa, and on April 22, a judge ordered the space padlocked while the case proceeds in court, according to city records and a posted notice.

In the lawsuit, city attorneys accuse the spa — accessed by a descending staircase from the sidewalk between First and York avenues — of selling sex on multiple occasions.

The lawsuit cites two undercover police investigations in 2025 in which workers unknowingly offered sex to an officer as part of their $60 massage treatment, for an additional price of $230 per woman.

Officials also said phone numbers tied to the business are linked to a website featuring explicit images and language, including the phrase "big boobs big breasts."

Despite the allegations and the still-unfolding legal situation, Oleg Sakhno, who owns the Keuka Wine Bar and Kitchen in the same building, told Patch he was unfazed.

“When I found out about the spa, I heard the word ‘whorehouse,’ I had zero reaction, because I’ve lived in New York City for 36 years. These places pop up all over,” Sakhno said.

Though the spa operated in the same building, Sakhno, whose restaurant has been in the space for 15 months, said he rarely noticed its existence.

“I’ve never seen any activity from the spa, but last summer we were sitting outside and cops came with one of those tools used to break doors, and they went downstairs,” he said. “Thankfully, I never had the feeling that we’re sharing customers."

In the lawsuit, the city is seeking to shut down the business for up to a year, prohibit any future illegal activity at the site and allow authorities to seize materials connected to the alleged operation.

The city is also seeking civil penalties of $1,000 per day for each day the alleged conduct continued.

City lawyers argue the building’s owner and operators knew or should have known about the activity and failed to stop it.

The defendants have not publicly responded to the lawsuit or to Patch's request for comment.

Know of a business opening or closing in Manhattan? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com