Most of us are auspiciously engaged in a life that is rewarding on many levels, not just the hobby. But, to speak the pure and simple truth, lately there has been a good deal of dirt uncovered in our community that takes away from the professionalism of the business. It cheapens the commodity; it blurs the fantasy. This dirt makes many honest, well intentioned, hard working ladies look bad. Honestly, I don't see how some of you can stand it. The Sheika is sincerely concerned.
Many-if not all-have felt the pressure from the recent agency busts and strong indictments and the TER "boardroom" price fixing scam. But, to further confuse the issue and upset the working environment, the busts have created a vacuum in the many other illegal money transfer/laundering scams that permeate the “agency” business.
In lieu of these recent arrests, independents have been asked and pressured to fill this vacuum.
There are many who resent these attempts.
No one likes to be forced to deal with manipulative sleaze ball scum; no escort likes to be pressured to give cut rate sex and make deposits in bank accounts that are not their own no matter where the money comes from or how big the cut.
RICO laws are serious, much more serious than having sex for money. Traveling the way many escorts do can leave them very venerable to pressure from LE and manipulative sordid scum like those mentioned above. As Moby and Txtoast have implied in some of their recent, posts, the effects of the arrests and indictments are far reaching and they will continue for a very long time.
One would have to be naive beyond belief to think that any lady could stay completely above the fray and “enjoy” their work. The Sheika is genuinely curious; I’d really like to know; what does a poor working girl do? What do the independant ladies think about the changes in the work enviroment and what-if anything-are they doing to compensate?
Anyway, I'll try and be a little more pleasant and up beat the next time I post. I’ve been a way for a while, so I'll try and write more often.
for the record i dont know anything about anything nor do i want too so dont tell me.
afaik the sky is blue because because the sky fairies like blue. the moon is made out of green cheese.jesus rode around on the dinosuars when he got tired of his donkey. Babies come from holding hands and computers are really run by little gnomes who only listen to you half the time.
Other than depressing the hell out of everyone and stirring things up what possible reason could you have for posting this tripe. "The Sheika"?? "THE"?? WTF??
I wouldn’t get too worked up about anyone who refers to ones self in third person is saying. This person keeps referring to a “Boardroom” and “price fixing”. If there was any price fixing all providers should be happy due to the fact that average prices have gone up at least 200% and above over the past 6 years. This person (abaz) has no reviews and nobody has actually met. This leaves for zero credibility as far as most should be concerned.
I would go so far as to say this person (abaz) has estrogen running through their veins and is actually a disgruntled provider who can no longer or never could command the inflated rates and is again stirring the pot.
The prosecution of a prominent agency and selected persons connected with it, the fear that other agency prosecutions are pending, and the withdrawal of other agencies from the market, means that the Age of the Independent has arrived.
It’s hard to believe that anyone would book with an agency in the current environment. While being an independent is no guarantee against prosecution, the advantages are obvious – smaller proceeds, smaller client lists, the violation of fewer state laws than those who make an income running escorts - all make prosecution of this group far less likely.
The demise of the agencies should mean that the Independents have a greater pool of business than ever before. While former agency ladies can be expected to go independent now, the established Independents should have all the advantages until these new competitors establish a reputation, a client base, and a business model. Prices should go up for these ladies in accordance with the new demand.
With respect to those Independents who fall prey to the dark side and start engaging in the very conduct beyond pure escorting that motivates LE to prosecute, they will inherit risk in proportion to their greed. We can only hope that they will read the charges leveled against those who have fallen and modify their conduct accordingly.
“One would have to be naive beyond belief to think that any lady could stay completely above the fray and “enjoy” their work.”
You lost me here, I do not see that as a problem at all. I would think that the great majority of Independents would have nothing to do with the conduct so clearly spelled out in the charges.
NewBrew, darling, this is an excellent assessment of me and my post; however it doesn’t go far enough.
If you would immerse yourself for a few decades in the business realities of the escort trade you would KNOW what I was talking about.
If you would like to continue this dialogue, the Sheika will be more than happy to oblige. Please send me an e-mail...
Sometimes, many “good old boy” clients find it difficult to comprehend the feelings of caring and commitment the ladies in this business have for one another. NewBrew, darling, the appearance of vulnerability is a contrived part of the fantasy. Most escorts are tough, calculating and extremely supportive of one another.
Gee Henry, sometimes reality is not very pleasant; and, unfortunately, this business can have a rather shady, unpleasant side that includes a certain amount of deceit and intrigue.
Precious Henry, the Sheika thinks your question is a good one. If you keep searching, I’m sure you will find the answer.
Marikod, you are correct: the demise of the agencies increase the income potential for independents providers. However, it also increases the potential for compromise. This is a problem.
“The great majority of independents would have nothing to do with the conduct so clearly spelled out in the charges”, but all too often, independent providers are manipulated into positions where they have little or no choice.
1) The overall statement is a bit distorted and self serving since it combines unrelated events and activities.
2) RICO is a poorly understood act. Most lawyers dont even really understand it or its applications. None of the actions above have any RICO implications in the absence of organized criminal activity.
3) While the "Boardroom" no longer exists (and hasnt since 2005) as a former member I can attest that it never was interested or capable of "price fixing" or extortion.
4) The demise of the boardroom did create a vacuum and it appears that one or more of the follow up factions may very well have engaged in activities that possibly reached a level that could trigger a RICO investigation in respect to one or more members.
Any provider (agency or independent) who travels for business is violating numerous federal laws and technically faces a minimum 20 yr term if convicted on all counts. Any escort who travels for business is at risk far beyond RICO in my opinion.
The indies were at the head of the actual price fixing scheme in 2005 and threatened to blackball glenn if he allowed lower priced gals to advertise on phx411.
The simple reality is that we have always had a two tier price system with a retail and insiders rate structure. This has, does and will always exist. The free market will always determine pricing over time.
In most of the civilized world prostitution is legal and pimping is not. Many of the gals here who are well known indies now have had nothing but good things to say about various agency owner so its not place to judge the realities.
Paul was an egotistical self centered person who ignored a lot of well ment warnings and we see the inevitable result. Obviously there is a tie in with other illegal activity (My understanding is that the DD operation contributed 411 that led to the recent Tempe meth busts).
The real key here is very very simple. Anyone who was involved and reaped a tangible gain from organized activity designed to control, direct or manipulate business specific to the hobby thru an affiliation with DD and/or PHX411 is at significant risk at this time.
They are many TER members who have chosen usernames that refer to themselves in the third person -The Delano, The Tunneler, are just a few examples that many come to mind.
And I'm sure you would agree that this kind of user name is more colorful and entertaining to read than some of our less creative TER members -say...ss308.
“2) RICO is a poorly understood act. Most lawyers dont even really understand it or its applications.”
You are sure right about that.
“None of the actions above have any RICO implications in the absence of organized criminal activity.”
Way off here. Although originally designed to combat organized crime, “organized criminal activity” is not a RICO requirement at all. Two nuns and a priest can be prosecuted under RICO if they operate an “enterprise” through “a pattern of racketeering activity.”
And while racketeering activity includes many of the typical crimes in which the Mafia might engage, it also includes many routine federal crimes that ordinary businessmen commit such as mail fraud, wire fraud, and bankruptcy fraud.
As to the Sheika’s statement- “RICO laws are serious, much more serious than having sex for money. Traveling the way many escorts do can leave them very venerable to pressure from LE” - she was equally way off to the extent that she implied traveling for escort purposes alone would violate RICO. Interstate travel for sex for pay purposes violates the Mann Act but the Mann Act is not a RICO predicate act. I think she just confused the statutes here.
Leaving aside the broader scope of RICO conspiracy, where agencies get in trouble with RICO usually involves money laundering. If all they did was operate intrastate and accept money in payment for sex, declare it properly as income and pay taxes on it, they would probably only violate minor state laws.
“Any provider (agency or independent) who travels for business is violating numerous federal laws and technically faces a minimum 20 yr term if convicted on all counts.”
The Mann Act is the primary federal law criminalizing interstate travel for sex for pay purposes. There is not a 20 year minimum here (as long as only adults are involved-there is a 10 year minimum for minors) are involved but you can be imprisoned up to 30 years.
If there are others, that would be news to me and I doubt it because that would be inconsistent with the Mann Act.
But the ultimate conclusion of your post is unassailable.
The girls who couldnt command their rates, are the ones who developed the scam.
I dont remember any providers speaking out against it but I would think anyone disgruntled over the price fixing scam that tx-toast has just told us about, would be HONEST and confident of commanding her prices. Could she have been disgruntled because HOBBYISTS were getting ripped off ? Does this person exist ? I would agree with anyone disgruntled by this.
If someone was stirring THIS POT, you should've ENCOURAGED her and maybe you could've HELPED HER save a few hobbyists from getting BURNED. Cuz burned hobbyists call LE and LE took the whole damn pot.
Just who are YOU anyway ?
The Sheika has been posting here for years and has always maintained those posts with INTELLIGENCE ,LOGIC, and THOUGHT-PROVOKING INSIGHT in attempt to HELP THIS COMMUNITY.
Obviously, that isn't on your AGENDA and you have a problem with anyone who does.
The guilty always try to destroy the whistleblower.
As to the Sheika’s statement- “RICO laws are serious, much more serious than having sex for money. Traveling the way many escorts do can leave them very venerable to pressure from LE” - she was equally way off to the extent that she implied traveling for escort purposes alone would violate RICO. Interstate travel for sex for pay purposes violates the Mann Act but the Mann Act is not a RICO predicate act. I think she just confused the statutes here…
Well,let me see if I can better explain myself.
Marikod, you and Txtoast seemed very well versed in the legal pitfalls inherit in selling sex. Both of your posts are impressive, though they lack a certain specificity. The Sheika will try and explain by describing a rather general scenario that is all too common in the sex trade.
After being in the business for a couple of years, many non-agency escorts, can and do become beholding to others for a variety of reasons. That is to say: as in any other business escorts owe favors.
However, an escort’s means of support is illegal and invisible; this leaves them open to be pressured and-if you will-blackmailed in a small change sort of way by the rotten low-life scum that derives pleasure and income from that sort of activity…
Many of the ladies travel out of state frequently; and, to pay back “favors”, they may be asked to make payments,transfer funds or make deposits of the ill gotten gains of others, essentially they are laundering money. This is the type of activity that is in violation of the RICO statutes. Also,it is appropriate to note that evidence of this type of activity can be used by LE to “turn” an escort and influence testimony.
The public nature of this board prevents the Sheika from being more detailed and specific about the underhandedness, the betrayal and the pressures that unfortunately can be brought to bear in communities such as these.
However,if you keep the above scenario in mind, I think you will find that my post/s make much more since.
Above and beyond all else, the Sheika is concerned about the well fair of the ladies.
if the ladies are laundering money, or even if they engage in a conspiracy with bad guys who are themselves violating RICO.
You are absolutely correct that there would be potential RICO exposure in these situations.
I guess I have made some unrealistic assumptions about what it means to be an independent, at least in the Phoenix market.
In effect, you seem to be talking about blackmail and extortion of these ladies that go far beyond the usual requests for sexual favors. You are the first person I have seen raise this kind of issue.
Interesting, however, that not a single lady responded to your post, even though it was addressed to the ladies.
Marikod, darling, we are discussing a side of the business that tends to make many hobbyists uncomfortable and can make a well-meaning, hardworking escort’s life miserable or a living hell. There is an incredible amount of money to be made in the escort trade. Whether a lady is an independent or agency girl, the money has to be legitimized somehow.
My dear, sweet Marikod, oh the stories I could tell.
One of the criminal issues in the recent busts dealt with racketeering/money laundering/etc. in Florida… So, for instance, it would be only logical to assume that if an independent escort were to schedules a trip to, say, Fort Lauderdale within a month or two of the indictments, she might be under pressure to become involved in some shady dealings with some culpable characters. Scheduling such a trip would be waving a red flag that LE could see from miles away. Or, it is possible that the escort could be signaling for help from friends and allies within the community.
Most assumptions about this business or--for that matter--any business are based upon the expectations of the consumer. The commodity for sale is--for the most part--a fantasy relationship. Essentially, it is companionship and sex without commitment. This is what the hobbyist pays for.
In the case of the “independent” provider, her status as an independent may complement the fantasy. However, very few, if any, escorts completely operate independently. There is a myriad of different arrangements, so, Marikod, you can be assured there is usually someone helping out. There is usually someone sharing the profits. There is usually someone under the bed or lurking in the shadows.
The Sheika was not surprised, nor was it unexpected, that no ladies responded to the initial post on this public board. However, I did receive a few responses on my private e-mail.
I enjoy our dialogues very much. Please continue to write.
It was more the consistently condescending attitude that permeates the posts, the "3rd person" aspect was more of a byproduct of that general attitude. Furthermore, the person's handle is not what I was refering to, I understand a person's handle having "the" in it. It is the individual posts themselves contstantly having the 3rd person references I was talking about. To each their own, I can see my opinion is not welcome nor properly understood...I'll go back to my hole.
as far as I am concerned. And I understand your point-referring to yourself in the third person is pretentious at best and can well be annoying.
To the extent I misunderstood your point, I certainly apologize.
My take is that this lady simply uses the third person as part of her posting style. When she goes to Starbucks, I don't think she says "the Sheika will have a double latte."
Hey, I get blasted all the time for my comments, and sometimes deserrvedly so. It's part of the fun of posting. So don't stay in your hole too long.
work has been rough lately, obviously I'm a bit snippy. The SS308 obviously needs to get laid. Thanks for a reality check, I think I'm taking life a bit too seriously!
The key elements specific to RICO (as we both agree) are the combination of an organized element and intent...my comment is simply that the actions described on their face to not trigger a RICO event.
The problem with interstate prostitution isnt the Mann Act per se. Lets look at the realities, if the events occur in a single state no federal laws are broken. When you are crossing state lines and then committing an illegal act and either transporting or depositing funds all kinds of possibilities open up. Just the intra state transfer of funds from an illegal activity is a 5 year federal crime. Now its not automatic but its entirely possible to break federal laws coming, going and during that kind of a trip completely seperate from the Mann Act. Like RICO these laws are aimed at organized criminal activity but even so its easy to rack up the miles so to speak.
that any interaction like that is a RICO event. However my point was that the same provider that goes to city X and earns $$$ is then in a position where they are now transporting money from an illegal enterprise across state lines in some manner.
My understanding (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) is that the transport of cash earned in that manner is in and as of itself a felony. Further if funds are used/spent/transferred across state lines to facilitate a criminal enterprise that in and as of itself is a felony.
So once you take a misdemeanor criminal activity and transport it with intent across state lines you've raised the bar an awful lot. The actual actions involved in planning, advertising & funding this activity are felonies.
If I understand you correctly, a lady who travels across state lines and then engages in sex for pay at this point is in violation only of the state law forbidding prostitution, which is usually only a misdemeanor with minor penalties.
But if she then takes the money and returns home, she commits a felony under federal law bc the money was obtained in violation of state law.
I was unaware of that and suspect, if it is true, that none of the traveling ladies appreciate this.
The implications are quite staggering if this is true bc it means at a minimum that ladies are crazy to advertise thier trips as they so often do.
You might want to post this on the Legal Corner Board and see if there is some ace who can confirm if this is true.
and the issue isn't the commission of a local crime. It's the intent to commit a crime across state lines, the commission of said crime and the transportation (in some manner) of funds from that crime. If you move funds that are illegally gained across state lines thats a federal crime.
Taking it to an extreme here is the end result. A gal books a trip to Chicago and advertises there locally. She pays for her ticket via a debit card from her "business account" in AZ. When she arrives she hits the ATM for cash and then proceeds with her trip. As she makes money she stops in at a Chicago branch of her bank and deposits $3,000 and then flies home with the balance in cash after paying her hotel bill with her debit card.
Technically just the actions above have a 30 yr federal minimum sentence. These laws go all the way back to Al Capone and prohibition. Would you actually get charged....noramlly no. But is it possible if you got caught up in a bigger operation....yes.
But if there is no crime there is no felony or misdemeanor. It is assumed the transactions made are legal. RICO is most used for racketeering and white collar crimes.
put you in jail or even get you killed. We all make bad assumptions with varying results. As it relates to the above the government recognizes wages, investments and gifts among others. If you deposit money in your account you have an underlying responsibility which is in proportion to the size of the deposit. Money laundering is a felony and "I didn't know" is not a plausible defense in and as of it self...end of story.
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