LAS VEGAS -- Four people have been arrested and accused of illegally running a chain of brothels in Las Vegas and transporting women across state lines to work as prostitutes.

Jia Hui Keyes, 42, Christopher Smith, 34, Xiao Hong Qi, 35, and Mouhua Liu, 38, all of Las Vegas, were charged in two separate cases of federal racketeering for transporting illegal immigrants across state lines to work in their brothels, police said.

According to the court records, between about 2004 and 2006 Keyes, Smith, Qi and Liu allegedly operated brothels in the Las Vegas area at various locations, police said. They allegedly induced illegal aliens and other women to travel to Nevada to work at the brothels as prostitutes.

Police said the women were primarily of Asian descent from Southern California and other areas of the U.S. According to investigators, the women worked 10 to 15 days at one brothel before being circulated to a new brothel. The men used the brothel earnings to pay themselves and to cover expenses of the brothels.

The men were arrested Friday. They will be in federal court for the racketeering charges Monday.

The men could also face charges from the state allegedly for running brothels in Clark County. While it is legal in the rest of Nevada, prostitution is illegal within county boundaries, including Las Vegas.