CHICAGO -- Federal authorities said today that they busted a nationwide, high-priced call-girl ring known as "The Circuit."

"This was no small operation," NBC5's Amy Jacobson reported. "Federal authorities said The Circuit made millions over a 10-year period -- and a prostitute could make up to $10,000 a week."

Investigators said The Circuit operated in most major cities, including Chicago, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington.

(see link for full story)

Copyright 2002 by NBC5.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

additional details on a second story

Again the LE folks use their power of persuasion to enlist the support of others.

They monitored 14000 call for 60 days?

They are already releasing names.  

That bust in New Orleans was just the tip of the iceberg.  And this is the Feds not local.

Not until we change the people we elect.

You have to sit down and decide who is VERY opposed to idea of brothels, etc.  And then who would benefit from their vote.

Seems to me a lot of money is being used on a victim-less crime.  Or did I miss the story of the victim?

... if we could just follow what the founding fathers intended and keeep the church out of government, all this crap would go away.  Anytime you pile endless layers of myth and brainwashing on top of man's natural tendencies toward fear and ITMYOB ("inability to mind your own business"), this is what you get -- false morality, political correctness, and a total distraction of the societal eye from innumerable things of far more critical public import.

Welcome to the new regime... and pass the offering plate.

The thing is it doesn't matter if you are Democrat or a Republican if you vote with your party or your gut.  USE YOUR HEAD!... you need to study on what the people you put in office are likely to do to earn their money.

If you think we girls are only in it for the money.... look to your political leaders!  For the most part they are treating you to tours of Greece and they don't believe in condoms OR lube!  And religion as it is becoming entertwined with govt is the pimp running the show.  Individuals on a voting level mean well BUT they are giving those that run the religious right too much power outside of their churches.

Don't let your rights go away out of fear!  Don't be someone whose political opinion equates to "Baaa!  Baaa!"

Rebecca


-- Modified on 8/7/2002 7:07:43 AM

If it's the Feds, then the people responsible are easy to identify: George W. and Ashcroft. It's not like you need a diagram.

Let's sum up. Bin Laden and Mullah Omar, livin' large in Pakistan, plotting their next attacks on us. The stock market in the tank and with it most of our retirement accounts, but George W.'s cronies for the most part off scot free. The recession poised to continue indefinitely, which will surely happen if we attack Iraq and oil prices spike up. Are we having fun yet?

But, on the good news front, at least they've protected America from a nationwide "prostitution ring". Where's Elmer Gantry when you need him?

-- Modified on 8/7/2002 7:51:32 AM

John Ashcroft. You have a religious zealot in charge of the Justice Department who is equally, if not more interested in busting escorts than he is in protecting our country from terriorists. Look at the resources that were committed to this operation.

As far as the Feds letting up, I wouldn't count on it. I am guessing that it's Ashcroft's vision that he's here to save us from ourselves. I've worked around religious zealots, unfortunately. They're hypocritical, over bearing and only see one point of view, their own. Just like those maniacs that flew airplanes in to our buildings, they are convinced that what they are doing is right in the eyes of God, their God. MfSD.

-- Modified on 8/7/2002 7:59:02 AM

Those unscrupulous bastards!!!!!; coercing people to help them in their misguided intrusion into the lives and livelyhoods of virtually innocent people.

There are no victims in this situation. An all-upscale operation, the neighbors knew nothing about it. No forced prostitution, just a lot of people having fun nationwide. The only proposed victims were the clients of the one lawyer, who allegedly over-charged them to support his lifestyle. The escorts have nothing to do with that.

The only real victims are the lady’s, the girls and the gentlemen, some of which have had their lives turned upside down by LE. Those fucking, hypocritical, goddam bastards, and those who are pulling the LE strings!!!! No, they’re not going to stop. They’re out of control, high on their own moral superiority. This is the longest, misguided, failed  prohibition in history!!!

It’s unbelievable to come to this, after having a President who would have just as soon invited us all over the oval office to party.

i don't agree that this is religious zealotry mucking around with law enforcement. yes, escorts were involved, but they were organized and used in ways that made other crimes possible -- money laundering, drug vending, and fraud:

"The Miami raids proved particularly embarrassing to Coral Gables attorney Michael Murphy, who was charged last week with fraudulently billing his law firm clients $111,000 that was used to cover his personal tab at the Miami brothel."

but here's the crux: notice that these ladies were shipped around like cattle, to ensure they could not develop personal history or relationships with their clients -- which in my view is one of the major ways that a minx can really reduce the risks, frustrations and stress of her profession.

and the ladies only got 60% *or less* of the gross, which means they looked like $350, but were only worth $200. that only incented them to work more clients, which made it riskier and more demeaning all around.

yes, ashcroft is a priggish asshole, but don't wave the libertarian flag on this one. the johns don't matter, the johns get what they choose. *look after the ladies first.* none of them were arrested, as far as i can tell. yes, they're out of work for a while, but in the situation i don't see them as "victims" -- those would be the people who ponied up for all those "billable hours."

why is it that the really smart, alert, trustworthy, vibrant and life loving minxes are independent? maybe because that's the best relationship for them *and* for the clients. anyway, seek those ladies out, and leave the racketeering trade to the coke snorting high rollers and women exploiters.


-- Modified on 8/7/2002 10:00:57 AM

Pardon me but I will sleep on a really big response to this one.  In the meantime.....

$10,000 a week?  Of if this includes the other's percentage, $6,000 a week.  Pretty big wages to me.

And, yes, the ladies were probably arrested.  And then given immunity IF they testified in front of the grand jury.

Drollere --- maybe we need to not be so selective in addressing particular issues.  Lets look at the BIG picture!

Thanks....

....then find your own house.  Don't use a realtor.
....then find your own job.  Don't use agencies or a headhunter.
....hell, get your own medical books and perform your own operations.
etc. etc. etc.
There is a reason people find realtors, find headhunters and work for agencies.  And it has little to do with money.  Nuff said.
The real victims are the poor, unsuspecting clients of Mr. Bad Attorney in all this.

I don't know how this laywer’s business practices got wrapped up in this case, but that is HIS crime, not the crime of the prostitution ring.

Still, I prefer independents for the same reasons as drollere and many more. In fact most of these consortiums doing business in SF, are known for offering little more than ROB’s and bait & switch. But that’s a different topic.


-- Modified on 8/7/2002 11:56:41 AM

As far as I can tell "the circuit" had nothing to do with the internet.  There are two reasons I say that: the first is that the perverts in the news organizations and at the FBI get a hard-on by putting the words "prostitution" and "internet" in the same sentence and they didn't.  Second if the agency had advertised on the internet it would have made it easier for the girls to build a regular clientele which they were clearly trying to avoid.  As a result, this bust is really not a big deal.  All the feds have done is demonstrate that if you operate from a centralized location it's easy for them to take you down.  It's much more difficult to stop hundreds of independent providers operating locally.  Frankly it's not cost effective and it doesn't have the same propaganda value.  I think the moral of the story is clear: operate locally and independently.  Ultimately the feds are fighting a loosing battle and if there is no propaganda value for the politicians they will quit.  The only drawback of this bust is that perhaps some of the women were doing this part-time and did not want their pictures on the internet and they will be deterred to some extent.  

Some people have criticized the agency for the 60/40 split.  It's my understanding this is the typical ratio for agencies, which is why a tip looks like a bigger percentage to the agency girls than it does to the hobbyist.  

I'm not an expert, I just slept at a Holiday Inn Express

-- Modified on 8/7/2002 4:24:26 PM

the New Orleans agency.  There are always some FBI agents or US attorneys who wanted to advance their profiles.

I thought John Ashcroft and Dubya were personally behind every bust of an escort in our fair country. That was long before one was elected and the other confirmed.

That makes no sense at all.

Usually they are agencies that act as cooperatives like MGF or run by former escorts or dispatchers such as Heidi Fleiss's operation.

MfSD,

THat is the smartest thing I have heard all day! You are exactly right. John Ashcroft IS just as bad as the manaics who flew planes into our buildings.

I can't stand that overbearing Christian BS....

I am a Christian myself...but not the hypocritical type like he is... trust me.

Generous D

Had that overbearing, stuffy voice.  Could it be? hehe

I have nothing to hide or not much. LOL

I know that my ip address is 'known' to the administrators at the erotic review.  And unless I want to use a proxy server, such is life.

But when their is an image included (she is hot too!), then my information is also recorded in the log files of the server which hosts http://www.eyrie.org/~aerianne/pics/Perry/perry.juriAv.25wetTeeBg.jpg

And that would be somewhere close to www.eyrie.org or Stanford Univ.

Not sure I am all that comfortable with that.  But I am really interested in opinions.  (BTW, this link appears harmless)

What do you all think?