FILE: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, arrives at U.S. Bank Stadium before the NFL Super Bowl LII football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Minneapolis in February 2017. (Associated Press)
Law enforcement officers who conducted a monthslong sting operation on the Jupiter, Fla., spa where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was accused last month of soliciting prostitution, seized nearly $200,000 from the business and arrested the owner and manager on felony charges, according to court records released Tuesday.
Jupiter police who raided the local Orchids of Asia Spa reportedly found $183,000 in bank safety deposit boxes belonging to spa owner and manager Hua Zhang and Lei Wang, search warrants indicate. The officers also froze nine bank accounts belonging to Zhang and Wang and seized the spa’s surveillance equipment, according to records.
Zhang and Wang were taken into custody on a slew of felony charges involving a prostitution business, while Kraft faces a misdemeanor solicitation charge. Zhang, a 58-year-old legal resident of the U.S., has pleaded not guilty and is now under house arrest under a $278,000 bond, the Sun-Sentinel of South Florida reported. Wang, 39, has also pleaded not guilty and is still in custody on a $256,000 bond, the report said.
The seized cash and surveillance equipment was part of a multi-jurisdiction investigation that involved the closing of 10 spas between Palm Beach and Orlando and the arrests of 300 men. While no one has been charged with human trafficking, authorities have said they believe the spa’s employees were brought to the U.S. from China.
An investigation began in October and surveillance began in early November, the Miami Herald reported, citing search warrants. Officers said they observed nearly 80 men enter the spa and leave after 30 or 60 minutes, the report said. Some customers were pulled over for traffic violations after they left and admitted to paying for sex acts, the warrants show.
By mid-November, a female health inspector went into the spa and later told officers there was evidence that the three female workers were living in the store. Officers then searched trash bins behind the spa and reportedly found evidence of sexual activity.
On Jan. 17, after obtaining a warrant, officers used an undescribed “tactical ruse” to get the employees outside and secretly install surveillance cameras. As officers chatted with the employees, Zhang arrived and told officers she could see their arrival on her cellphone, tipping them off that she had her own camera system installed, the documents show. Officers were able to find those cameras and their recorders, which were later seized.
Police say Kraft, 77, first visited two days after the cameras were installed and again the next morning, shortly before he flew to Kansas City, where he saw his team defeat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
HOW RUMORS OF A BIGGER NAME THAN ROBERT KRAFT BEING BUSTED FOR SOLICITATION GOT STARTED
Investigators say they videotaped him engaging in sex acts during both visits and then handing over cash. Kraft, who is reportedly worth $6 billion, handed over a $100 bill and another bill after one visit, records show, and an undetermined amount during the other. Two weeks later, the Patriots won the Super Bowl, their sixth under his ownership.
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Kraft was charged in late February and has pleaded not guilty. Most men charged for the first time with soliciting are eligible for a diversion program where they pay a $5,000 fine, perform 100 hours of community service and attend a class where they learn about the dangers of prostitution and how it is often tied to human trafficking.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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