Contact: Rachel Zimmermann Smith, Johnson County Attorney
Contact Number: 319-339-6100
Contact Email: [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Defendant in Illicit Massage Business Case Charged with Tampering with Witness
December 10, 2025 (JOHNSON COUNTY, IA) – On December 8, 2025, Junping Ren, 56, of Iowa City, was charged with Tampering with a Witness, a Class C Felony. The criminal complaint for this most recent charge of Tampering with a Witness alleges that between October 4th, 2025, and December 7th, 2025, 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.” 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’s initial appearance was held this morning, December 10th, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Ren 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 is currently a defendant in a related case where she has been charged with 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.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Note: The official online PDF includes an attached Criminal Complaint.