Probe Into Call Girl Ring Started at IRS

[Lauri]

Probe Into Call Girl Ring Started at IRS

Monday, March 10, 2008 10:00 PM

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NEW YORK -- The federal investigation into a high-end prostitution ring linked to Gov. Eliot Spitzer apparently began last year as a financial probe by the Internal Revenue Service.

The investigation into the Emperors Club VIP gathered more than 5,000 telephone calls and text messages, and more than 6,000 e-mails, along with bank records, travel and hotel records and surveillance.

But it was unclear whether Spitzer was a target from the start or whether agents came across his name by accident while amassing evidence.

Conversations were recorded about someone identified as "Client 9," including that a prostitute identified as "Kristen" should take a train from New York to Washington for a tryst on the night of Feb. 13, according to an affidavit.

A law enforcement source in Washington who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that "Client 9" was Spitzer and that he met with "Kristen" in a Washington hotel room just two hours before Valentine's Day.

Wiretaps enabled government agents to listen as the woman later told a booking agent for the ring that she had secured $4,300 in cash from her client and that she liked him. Authorities also had statements from a confidential source and an undercover officer.

The prostitution ring first came to light last week when four people with charged with running it.

It was not immediately clear whether Spitzer could face charges. Federal prosecutors have brought charges against several prostitution rings over the past two decades, but have generally not prosecuted customers.

The public-corruption unit of the U.S. attorney's office got involved after the IRS looked into a complaint of a potential violation of the Bank Secrecy Act, the government's main tool against money laundering.

Financial institutions are required to have anti-money laundering programs, which help the government catch terrorist financiers, drug lords and other criminals. Financial companies also must report suspicious financial transactions to the government.

Investigators say the Emperors Club, which is based in Brooklyn, made more than $1 million for its operators by selling the services of women whose bodies were displayed, their faces concealed, on a Web site.

The prostitutes were advertised as costing from $1,000 to $5,500 an hour.

Last Thursday, four people were arrested in the probe and charged with conspiracy to violate federal prostitution laws: Mark Brener, 62, and Cecil Suwal, 23, who live together in Cliffside Park, N.J.; Temeka Rachelle Lewis, 32, of Brooklyn; and Tanya Hollander, 36, of Rhinebeck, N.Y.

Brener and Suwal also were charged with conspiracy to launder more than $1 million in illicit proceeds. Lewis and Hollander were accused of arranging meetings between prostitutes and clients.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Stein said he believed the arrests shut down the ring.

The business promised clients they could pay with a wire transfer that would show up on records as QAT Consulting to make it appear to be a business transaction.

"Client 9" insisted on paying in cash.

© 2008 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/spitzer_emperors_club/2008/03/10/79353.html

maybe somebody ought to take this over to DU?

[Lord Undies]

We are talking about the F-ing-A governor of the state of  New F-ing York.  How ever the sleeze ball was caught, we should all be praising it to High Heavens!

Yes, the DUmpmonkeys should see this.  On second thought, they probably already have.

[Lauri]

We are talking about the F-ing-A governor of the state of  New F-ing York.  How ever the sleeze ball was caught, we should all be praising it to High Heavens!

Yes, the DUmpmonkeys should see this.  On second thought, they probably already have.

I cannot imagine a lawyer who made busting up prostitution rings a centerpiece of his career being able to say, "huh.. i sure didnt know.."

if they dont take his law license away, then New York or the federal prosecutors are bigger idiots than he is.

[Chris_]

Probe Into Call Girl Ring Started...

Folks, you just can't make this stuff up.

(LOL)

[Lacarnut]

.

I cannot imagine a lawyer who made busting up prostitution rings a centerpiece of his career being able to say, "huh.. i sure didnt know.."

if they dont take his law license away, then New York or the federal prosecutors are bigger idiots than he is.
[/quote]

He might have been fascinated by this illegal activity and got sucked into this type of activity or he could have been tipped off by another house of ill repute to eliminate the competition. If he received any compensation such as payoffs or used public funds, his ass will be behind bars. On the surface, his crimes seem greater than Martha S. or Bubba's in my opinion.

Wiring money and using a phone/cell was not to bright on his part plus he was a perfect target for blackmail. 

[Lauri]

.

I cannot imagine a lawyer who made busting up prostitution rings a centerpiece of his career being able to say, "huh.. i sure didnt know.."

if they dont take his law license away, then New York or the federal prosecutors are bigger idiots than he is.

He might have been fascinated by this illegal activity and got sucked into this type of activity or he could have been tipped off by another house of ill repute to eliminate the competition. If he received any compensation such as payoffs or used public funds, his ass will be behind bars. On the surface, his crimes seem greater than Martha S. or Bubba's in my opinion.

Wiring money and using a phone/cell was not to bright on his part plus he was a perfect target for blackmail. 
[/quote]

one small headline on Drudge earlier sounded like Spitzer was going to get some charges brought against him.

i also heard this morning his daddy was worth 500 million dollars, so Spitzer will have plenty of time and resources to fight it as long as he likes. the public cant keep up with all these dramas... especially during a fierce election season.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

He was making structured cash transactions, used to avoid tripping the threshold for reporting. In and of itself structuring is not illegal UNLESS you are structuring to hide illegal ativity.

That he also engaged in interstate transport tallies another federal offense.

Conspiring with the escort service interstate could also invoke RICO statutes.

Ordinarily this would seem excessive but Spitzer made a career out of prosecuting innocent people on charges trumped-up using less legal rationale.

[BlueStateSaint]

The word on the street here in Albany is that Spitzer's the most arrogant male organ one could meet.  That is what did him in.  Arrogance.  Sheer arrogance. 

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

The word on the street here in Albany is that Spitzer's the most arrogant male organ one could meet.  That is what did him in.  Arrogance.  Sheer arrogance. 

That and the fact he broke numerous state and federal laws designed to thwart organized crime and money laundering.

[Lauri]

He was making structured cash transactions, used to avoid tripping the threshold for reporting. In and of itself structuring is not illegal UNLESS you are structuring to hide illegal ativity.

That he also engaged in interstate transport tallies another federal offense.

Conspiring with the escort service interstate could also invoke RICO statutes.

Ordinarily this would seem excessive but Spitzer made a career out of prosecuting innocent people on charges trumped-up using less legal rationale.

my neighbor works for Wamu doing forensic stuff and tracking cash and such... she said the banks actually alerted the IRS first.

AND she said she found out who Client Number 8 was .. some rich guy from England.

as for Spitzer, yeah, I would say his larger than life hubris helped bring him down. if the DUmmies actually believe in Karma, and we know most of them do, Spitzer had it coming back to him in spades.