New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft faces two counts of soliciting prostitution in Florida after police busted an alleged human trafficking ring at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Fla. The spa is owned by 58-year-old Hua Zhang, who reportedly is facing nearly 30 charges following the investigation. According to its website, Orchids of Asia Day spa: "Provides massage therapy that will ease sore muscles, stiff necks, and other aches you may be experiencing. We offer a variety of massage modalities including Body & Facial Massage, Holistic Massage Therapy and Value Packages, all in a serene and relaxing environment. Also, there are private (quiet) and clean rooms and soft music for you. Come to take a top quality massage service!” Online reviews insinuated Orchids of Asia Day Spa is a place for paid sex, and an investigation of the parlor’s garbage revealed bodily fluids, according to a report from Treasure Coast Newspapers. The Patriots released this statement on their owner’s behalf: “We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.” Police found women were engaging in sexual acts, averaging eight clients a day and 1,500 men a year, with no days off, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told the Orlando Sentinel. USA Today reports “acts were captured on surveillance video” and TMZ reports there is video evidence from body cams. The Boston Globe details what’s on the video. According to TMZ, the operation was investigating “human trafficking” over a period of about eight months. Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.<doc-sep>The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office conducted the sting after complaints regarding prostitution in the city. LAKE WORTH — Nine men were arrested Thursday during a prostitution operation in Lake Worth, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office records show. The operation came after numerous complaints about prostitution activity in the city. The men, who range in age from 21 to 77, all face prostitution-related charges. >>RELATED West Palm prostitution sting nets 6 arrests One man also faces a drug charge after deputies found marijuana in his truck. Deputies arrested the men in the 200 block of North Dixie Highway by Third Avenue North as well as at the intersection of 15th Avenue South and South Federal Highway, according to court records. Palm Beach County Jail records indicate one man lives in the city and the others live in Connecticut, New Jersey, Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton. >>RELATED Jupiter spa manager booked into jail on prostitution charges The sheriff's office said the sting is not tied to the multi-county operation targeting a human-trafficking and prostitution ring running out of South Florida day spas. Authorities have issued hundreds of arrest warrants for the men who frequented the spas as well as the people operating them. ohitchcock@pbpost.com<doc-sep>New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting a prostitute, only weeks after his team won its sixth Super Bowl. Jupiter, FL police chief confirms NE Patriots owner Robert Kraft charged in prostitution ring bust — Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) February 22, 2019 The charges are part of a wide-scale prostitution bust in the southeastern Florida town. Kraft was one of 25 individuals to be observed by police at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa, one of five local institutions under police surveillance for several months. An arrest warrant for the for the longtime Patriots owner, who was reportedly twice caught on camera involved in sex acts at the massage parlor, is expected to be issued Monday. If convicted, he’ll face up to 120 days in jail. According to police records, one of the days he visited the day spa was the same day the Patriots defeated the Chiefs to win the AFC Championship Game. Kraft denied the charges in a brief statement released by his legal counsel Friday. “We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.” Through his lawyer, Kraft entered a not guilty plea: NEW: Robert Kraft pleads not guilty in Florida solicitation case and requests a non-jury trial. @boston25#Patriots pic.twitter.com/s5Xt3PSlow — Peter Wilson (@PetesWire) February 28, 2019 A month later, Kraft maintained the not guilty plea, waived a March 28 arraignment, and requested a jury trial: From Palm Beach County court records: Robert Kraft waives his arraignment, pleads not guilty to all charges, and requests a jury trial. pic.twitter.com/nMhKztCodd — Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) March 26, 2019 Kraft and a number of the other men charged were offered a place in a pre-trial diversionary program that would require them to complete several hours of community service, reimburse court costs, and take a series of courses on the dangers and lasting affects of sex trafficking. These charges would be vacated after completion of that program — though it would require Kraft and the other men charged to admit they’d likely be found guilty if the case went to trial. “The proposed deferred prosecution agreement calls for completion of an education course about prostitution, completion of 100 hours of community service, screening for sexually transmitted diseases and payment of some court costs,” the Wall Street Journal reported. Kraft opted against that route and decided to take the case to trial instead. He had no intention of taking that deal, preferring to fight the case despite allegedly being caught on camera inside the spa. While he hasn’t admitted guilt, he did apologize to the public in a statement released one day before the league’s annual meeting in Phoenix. “I am truly sorry,” Kraft said in a statement. “I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard.” Statement from Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft: pic.twitter.com/GiswaNQxh4 — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2019 His legal team is fighting hard to dismiss the prosecution’s videos taken inside the parlor as well. Cameras were installed inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in an effort to determine whether human trafficking was taking place. While the county found no evidence of trafficking, it still remains unclear whether the footage, potentially damning to Kraft’s case, will be admissible in his jury trial or released to the public. Kraft's legal team has viewed the video - his attorney in court today Bill Burck: "It's basically pornography." "I don't think there's interest the state has, or the media has, in publishing it...there's no need to actually see the video." — Michele Steele (@ESPNMichele) April 12, 2019 The prosecution wasn’t moved by this appeal and planned to release the videos of Kraft — and the other 25 men charged for solicitation at the spa — to the public in advance of the Patriots owner’s trial. However, the judge decided that the video was not obtained legally and therefore cannot be used in the prosecution’s case: My @usatodaysports story on judge ruling Robert Kraft footage cannot be used as evidence. NOTE: This doesn't have an immediate impact on whether the video will be made public, but ruling will be used by Kraft's lawyers in an attempt to keep footage sealed. https://t.co/XKyj2zDEf0 — A.J. Perez (@byajperez) May 13, 2019 What happens to Kraft now? Martin County Sheriff William Snyder hinted at a major name in a press conference detailing his department’s investigation into a human trafficking ring. That name was Kraft, who owns property in nearby Palm Beach and allegedly had his chauffeur drive him to the spa for the acts that eventually led to his charges. Snyder’s task force has made 165 arrests in a case the sheriff says “go[es] from here to New York to China, in Florida from here to Orange County ... I think it’s very safe to say without any hyperbole that this is the tip of the iceberg.” Video: Police in Jupiter, Florida announce the charges against @Patriots owner Robert Kraft of soliciting prostitution as part of a wider human trafficking sting operation pic.twitter.com/lGPREB4zOu — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 22, 2019 “They were cooking on the back steps of the business. These women were sleeping in massage parlors, on the massage tables and had no access to transportation,” said Synder, who noted victims averaged eight clients a day. “If you do the math, that is about 1,500 men a year, with no days off.” Kraft’s solicitation charge typically results in a diversionary program regarding the dangers of prostitution before the charges are then dropped. However, the Patriots owner’s high profile suggests this case could be anything but standard. Even if officials clear his record in south Florida, he’ll still have to deal with the NFL. What will the NFL do? Kraft’s arrest, even with the original accusations of his participation in a sex trafficking ring now cleared, is certain to bring down heavy discipline from a league that has been eager to clean up its image. Friday’s charges are a clear violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and will likely lead to a suspension and significant fine. If that happens, it would make Kraft the first owner to be disciplined since Jim Irsay was arrested under suspicion of DUI and drug possession in 2014. While the Colts owner was given a year of probation from a local judge after pleading guilty to the charges, he was also suspended by the NFL for six games and fined $500,000 for his transgression. The NFL says it is monitoring the situation and that Kraft’s charges won’t be handled any differently than a player’s. A new NFL statement on #Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s allegations of soliciting prostitution says the league is seeking “a full understanding of the facts” while not interfering with an ongoing investigation. Here it is in full: pic.twitter.com/8x1XMgen6T — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 25, 2019 This story will be updated as details emerge.<doc-sep>
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft faces misdemeanor charges of soliciting prostitution in Florida. Kraft was charged Friday on two counts of solicitation, police said. A law enforcement source told Yahoo Sports that video evidence prompted the charges against Kraft. In a statement, a spokesperson for Kraft said, “We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.” Police say Kraft was swept up in expansive sting launched by multiple departments, aimed at breaking up an alleged prostitution and sex-trafficking ring at massage parlors in several counties in central Florida. The sting centered on multiple parlors and at least two women identified as co-conspirators in the operation. Kraft is alleged to have engaged in illegal activity at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa, located in Jupiter, in two different visits. In the broader investigation, police allege that some of the women were forced to become sex workers after obtaining work permits after emigrating from China. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy, after the NFL Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. The Patriots won 13-3. (AP) The probe also involved the execution of at least eight search warrants and the seizure of cash and property assets valued in the millions. Kraft’s charges, according to authorities, was centered on simple solicitation. Kraft, 77, has been the principal owner of the Patriots since 1994, shepherding the franchise to one of the best runs in NFL history. That has included six Super Bowl titles, including the latest in February. He’s revered in New England for saving the Patriots from moving out of the region, as well as his family’s myriad philanthropic endeavors. He’s regarded as the of the NFL’s elite owners, as shown by his selection to the NFL chairmen’s committee in August of 2016. That puts him in a select group of owners with Clark Hunt of the Chiefs, John Mara of the Giants, and Art Rooney II in Pittsburgh. “The NFL is aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments,” the league said in a statement released Friday afternoon. Story continues Kraft’s wife, Myra, died in 2011. According to The Boston Globe, he has been in a relationship described as “on-again, off-again” with Ricki Noel Lander. Kraft denied in a statement in March of last year that he’s the biological father of Lander’s baby. More from Yahoo Sports: • Wetzel: How Nike fiasco could be a boon for Zion • Warriors win, no shock; Curry slam, big surprise • Megatron’s post-NFL career: Marijuana • Watch: NBA star’s wife makes him stop gaming