Hunter
12/11/25
A woman charged with running an illegal massage business in Iowa City faces an additional charge after being accused of tampering with a witness.
56-year-old Junping Ren was charged in September after Iowa City police raided Paradise Spa locations on 1st Avenue and Broadway Street. Also charged was 60-year-old Zhenshi Liu.
According to the criminal complaint, between October 4th and December 7th, Ren contacted the victim and the victim’s wife on numerous occasions, attempting to influence their testimony against Ren. On October 4th, Ren allegedly sent text messages to the victim threatening to come to his house, and stating “when the police ask you, you have to protect me…You can say you don’t know anything they ask you.”
Iowa City Police investigators warned Ren on November 25th to stop contacting witnesses in her case about their testimony.
However, on December 7th, Ren allegedly showed up to the victim’s church and asked the victim’s wife if she knew of the victim’s testimony and involvement in Ren’s case, attempting to influence the victim and his relationship with his wife.
Ren has been charged with Witness Tampering, a Class C Felony punishable by a prison sentence of up to ten years if convicted.
Ren’s initial appearance was held Wednesday morning. She was released on a cash bond of $5,000, and a No Contact Order was issued by the court to prevent further contact between Ren and the victim.
Ren already faces charges of Money Laundering, a Class C Felony; Ongoing Criminal Conduct, a Class B Felony; Pandering for Prostitution, a Class D Felony; and Pimping, a Class D Felony. Those charges come with a maximum prison sentence of 45 years if convicted on all counts.