Here is copied a letter I received from Dave in Phoenix this morning, Dave is a strong supporter of this "hobby" and has always provided thoughtful and succint information. The Wild One.
BREAKING NEWS SPECIAL BULLETIN - THE TBD BUSTS
My mailbox is filling up with everyone sending me links and asking if I've heard the latest and asking me questions. So...yes I am very much on top of the TBD situation (possible Eros also) Here is current update. If there is significant new information it will be in the next regular private list update:
TBD Bitten Hard by Morality Laws
TBD BOARD IN CONTROL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
Dave says: Believe it or not, as much as I despise TBD (Charles) personally, for his dishonestly, lack of integrity, antics and his attacks on me, I support him against the morality laws he is being charged with! All of us who support consensual commercial sex need to be deeply concerned about what happened. Yet it is not surprising because we live in a virtual police state controlled by the moralists that enjoy enforcing morality laws instead of real crimes. Exactly the opposite of the Canadian situation and most of the world.
Big Doggie, owner of the largest review board in the U.S., arrested along with many escorts in Operation Flea Collar - U.S. tax dollars at work going after morality crimes!
The website was owned and operated by Tampa resident Charles Kelly and Boca Raton resident Steve Lipson.
Kelly was arrested on 39 counts of racketeering, deriving support from prostitution, promoting prostitution and a variety of other charges. Lipson was arrested on 40 counts of similar charges.
In addition charges against many of the escorts active on the boards, for Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer, Committing Prostitution, Deriving Support from Prostitution, Aiding and Abetting Prostitution, Procuring Prostitutes, Maintaining an Establishment for Prostitution, Resisting an Officer Without Violence and Tampering with evidence.
While I have long exposed the dishonestly of TBD and his antics, this is not good!
A few links:
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGA5R00BM2D.html:
http://www.wtsp.com/news/2002_06/18_sex_ring.htm
http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/Press_Releases/Press_Releases/2002/02-270.htm
Video at http://64.156.27.241/0206/18/prostitutes_hi.wmv
Brief Highlights
Among those facing charges is an Osceola County high school special education teacher who was arrested this week on two counts of misdemeanor prostitution. Lisa D. Darnell, 29, of Kissimmee who worked at Poinciana High School is also being investigated by local school officials, detectives said.
In early 2002, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, initiated a prostitution sting that has never been attempted before by any law enforcement agency in the country, in an effort to infiltrate this organization. The Vice Section of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office started it’s own escort service web page, thereby joining the subject Web Site. Within a few hours of joining the web page, the undercover web page had thousands of “hits” and hundreds of subsequent offers for “dates” from members of the Web Site.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office subsequently set up “dates” with some of those members and arrested six subjects for soliciting prostitution within two working days. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office took in a total of $2,200 from those subjects as “escort fees”.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office enlisted the assistance of the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office, as the lead prosecutorial entity due to the multi-jurisdictional nature of the subject Web Site. With the assistance of the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation gained momentum resulting in the discovery of a multitude of suspects and prostitution related offenses as well as the location of assets that are the proceeds from this criminal enterprise.
It was discovered that the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office and the Orlando Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation were conducting a similar investigation into the subject Web Site at the same time. The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation had several investigative assets that, when combined with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigation accelerated the accumulation of information into the organization of the subject Web Site. The two agencies worked in concert and uncovered several witnesses and defendants within this organization as well as firmly establishing the culpability of Charles Kelly and Steve Lipson.
In June 2002, the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office advised that sufficient evidence existed to obtain warrants for the arrest of several subjects for charges ranging from Prostitution to Racketeering. Additionally, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation began arresting some of the escorts in the Orlando area prior to the initiation of this particular series of arrests for subjects involved in the Racketeering enterprise of the operation.
Detectives said there was nothing illegal about the discussions, and in order to arrest anyone they had to catch either the escorts or their customers in the act of committing prostitution.
UNCONFIRMED EROS STING REPORT:
from a discussion board:
" a lady here in Atlanta, one who I would consider a credible sort, said that she had heard that eros had been raided and all records seized. I do know that they have been hitting them really hard here in Atlanta, and another lady had heard that Atlanta, Miami, and Las Vegas had been targeted. Why those ladies from eros didn't have all of that stuff off shore I'll never understand. I honestly believe this will end up a federal sting."
Comments on various boards:
You missed a key point. LE in Tampa began working the case after they received a complaint. And while the providers arrested are all from Florida (today!!), don't be supervised if other girls from other places are not brought into this.
If it turns out that Chuck paid the transportation for any of the girls to attend his 'Bash' parties, and if they engaged in illegal acts while at the 'Bash', the list of charges against Chuck will grow. If they can develop any interstate charges, this thing will balloon. And let's face it, I'm sure that a provider or two will turn state's evidence to avoid felony convictions.
-- Modified on 6/19/2002 6:30:38 AM
