Applicable federal sentencing range for Ms. Palfrey.

From the U.S. Attorney office website:

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 16, 2008



California woman found guilty by federal jury of operating
long-term interstate prostitution ring

Washington, D.C. – Deborah Jeane Palfrey, 52, of Vallejo, California, was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury of operating an interstate prostitution ring under the business name Pamela Martin and Associates (PM&A) in the Washington metropolitan area for 13 years from her home in California, announced U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor, Gregory Campbell, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and C. Andre Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation.

After a week-long trial presided over by the Honorable James Robertson, the jury found Palfrey guilty on all counts in the indictment, including operating a racketeering influenced corrupt organization (RICO), money laundering conspiracy, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. At sentencing, she faces up to 50 years in prison and over $2,000,000 in forfeiture. The applicable federal sentencing range is approximately 57 to 71 months.

According to the evidence presented by the government at the trial, and as charged in the indictment, starting in about 1993, Palfrey managed a large scale prostitution ring, PM&A, that operated in several States, including Virginia, Maryland and in the District of Columbia. Palfrey hired women from these several jurisdictions who agreed to perform prostitution activities for customers of PM&A.

As part of the hiring process, Palfrey directed women who wanted to work for PM&A to male "testers" who agreed to and did meet with and determine the ability of those women to perform the appropriate prostitution activities. Once the women were hired, Palfrey coordinated the appointments prostitutes had with customers in Virginia, Maryland, and in the District of Columbia, who agreed to pay the prostitutes for engaging in sexual intercourse and/or oral sex.
Palfrey maintained at least three phone numbers for use by clients and employees of PM&A. Clients used these numbers to schedule appointments, and prostitutes used these numbers to advise Palfrey of their weekly availability, to receive directions to appointments scheduled for them by Palfrey, and to check in and check out with Palfrey at the beginning and end of each appointment scheduled by Palfrey. Palfrey arranged for the phone numbers to be remote call-forwarded to her California phone.

Palfrey maintained a U.S. Post Office box in Benecia, California, for receipt of portions of the proceeds of the prostitution activities. Palfrey directed the prostitutes to keep a percentage of the money they earned at each appointment scheduled by Palfrey, and Palfrey further directed the prostitutes to convert the remaining funds into money orders and to send them via the U. S. mail to Palfrey’s P.O. box in California.

As a result of these actions, the enterprise received substantial income from the prostitution offenses. Upon receipt by Palfrey of the money orders from the prostitutes, Palfrey would deposit those proceeds in her own accounts in California and use these proceeds to support herself, to promote her enterprise, and to acquire assets traceable to these proceeds.

The above-described prostitution ring, existed from about 1993 until about August of 2006, involved the activities of approximately 132 women, and generated, according to records recovered from Palfrey’s home, approximately $2,075,384 in income through the prostitution-related enterprise.

In announcing yesterday’s verdict, U.S. Attorney Taylor, Inspector Campbell and Special Agent in Charge Martin praised the hard work of the agents involved in this matter, especially Postal Inspector Maria Couvillon, former Inspectors Mark Hines and Alicia Bumpas, and IRS Special Agent Troy Burrus. They also acknowledged the efforts of Witness Advocate Michael Hailey, Paralegal Taryn McLaughlin, former-Legal Assistant Teesha Tobias and Legal Assistants Lisa Robinson and LaToya Wade, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Alexis and Catherine K. Connelly, Daniel Butler, and William Cowden who are prosecuting this matter.

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/Press_Releases/2008%20Archives/April/08-091.html

I really doubt it that Judge Robertson will sentence her to 55 years as the prosecution has pushed for. We are looking at the federal sentencing range about 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 years. Give or take. But, we are talking about a case that shouldn't been taking to trial from the beginning and for small amount of money over 13 years [prosecution looked at the money orders but alot of Palfrey's assets were made from her investment of stocks and bonds from her Charles Schwab accounts] for what the prosecutors said that was prostitution. And I am still shaking my head that the former female employees made only $130 a pop [$145 was given to Ms. Palfrey] for 90 minutes of a sex fantasy escort service where the Emperor VIP club prostitutes made up to $5,500 a hour for sex. And from the court documents, the four defendants would try to coherce some the clients to give little more of a "something something" [meaning extra money on top of the payment for the sex.] Prosecutors never asked the female witnesses in the Palfrey case if they got a "something something" from their clients besides the $275 bucks.

Giving all the interviews via email last year that I've done with Ms. Palfrey, fifteen articles written about her case, court documents, and so on, like so many victims fell victim of the abuse of the Justice Department such Don Siegelman, Cecil Wecht, Commissioner Gary White, Katheryn Shields, and so on, Ms. Palfrey's case is certainly added to the selected prosecution. Interesting that the former female employees for the government were basically harrassed and subjected to very uncomfortable information and questioning about their sexual activities.

Yet, the male clients were more protected. All of the government witnesses were given immunity.

And the government wanted to expose all of the former female employees from Ms. Palfrey and not the clients. Yet, when you look at the Emperor VIP club, all four defendants are not charged under RICO and they hadn't been indicted yet by the U.S. Attorney. And yes, prostitutes involved in the probe are plea bargaining. But, Eliot Spitzer, Client 9, was revealed and his political career was ruined and forced to resign. He is exposed and not protected by the government [since he was a client] and not given a plea bargain nor immunity. Two prostitution cases with different charges, different person targeted but similar selective prosecution. The real truth behind why Ms. Palfrey was targeted will come out sooner or later.