ABOUT GETTING A GRIP

Yesterday, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the convictions of a father and son who operated a prostitution ring for many years, as well as the company they used to launder prostitution proceeds. VINCENT GEORGE, SR. (“GEORGE SR.”), 56, and his son, VINCENT GEORGE, JR. (“GEORGE JR.”), 35, were found guilty following a bench trial in New York State Supreme Court of Promoting Prostitution and Money Laundering. GRIP ENTERTAINMENT, a company created by GEORGE JR., was also convicted of Promoting Prostitution and Money Laundering. The defendants are expected to be sentenced on July 8, 2013.

“Pimps are criminals. For too long, these defendants had free reign over women’s lives and bodies, but, for these pimps, this story should have no fairytale ending,” said District Attorney Vance. “The goal of this prosecution was to dismantle a profitable criminal enterprise from the top down, addressing both supply and demand. The felony convictions today achieve that goal.

“This father-and-son team was convicted of running a large-scale operation in which they transported women to Manhattan for the purpose of prostituting them. They made significant profits from this illegal operation, which were concealed in part by laundering the money through an entertainment company.”

As proven at trial, the women who were prostituted by GEORGE SR. and GEORGE JR. drove into Manhattan from Queens and Allentown, Pennsylvania, for many years. Prostitution clients were solicited at various upscale hotel bars and outside of strip clubs, and business cards were distributed under fake women’s names advertising “professional masseuse” services. Sex acts were performed for between $200 and $500 by the prostituted women in hotels, apartments, and cars.

Further as proven at trial, GEORGE SR. laundered the money earned by the prostituted women by converting the cash into money orders. GEORGE JR. washed the money through GRIP ENTERTAINMENT, a corporate entity he controlled and used to disguise and conceal the illegal source of the criminal proceeds.

The illicit proceeds, which included payments made with credit cards, checks, and cash, were deposited into a bank account maintained by GEORGE JR. on behalf of GRIP ENTERTAINMENT. From July 2008 through March 2012, more than $100,000 in illegal proceeds was deposited into the account. The prostituted women were largely paid by customers in cash, but also accepted credit card payments using devices that attached to their cell phones. The women frequently referred to their earnings as “CDs” or “DVDs” when checking in with the defendants, in an attempt to disguise their illegal earnings as legitimate music sales through GRIP ENTERTAINMENT.

Six livery drivers were indicted on charges of Promoting Prostitution in connection with the investigation. To date, four of the drivers have been convicted. Fourteen individuals who paid for the services of the prostituted women were also charged in connection with those encounters, and those cases are now closed. The prostituted women were not charged.

In coordination with Pennsylvania State Police, GEORGE JR. and GEORGE SR. were arrested together in a car while transporting another young woman to Pennsylvania from Upstate New York to work for their operation.

This case resulted from a long-term joint investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. As part of this investigation, the District Attorney’s Office, along with the NYPD and federal partners, seized 10 vehicles, three houses in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and more than $200,000 from bank accounts, all related to this operation. The District Attorney’s Office is pursuing forfeiture of these and other assets in partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Assistant District Attorney John Temple, Attorney-in-Charge of the Human Trafficking Program, and Assistant District Attorney Kim Han of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau, handled the prosecution of this case, assisted by Assistant District Attorneys Vimi Bhatia and Jennifer Dolle. The investigation was supervised by Assistant District Attorneys Polly Greenberg, Chief of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau; Martha Bashford, Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit; Audrey Moore, Chief of the Special Victims Bureau; Executive Assistant District Attorney David Szuchman, Chief of the Investigation Division; and Executive Assistant District Attorney Karen Friedman-Agnifilo, Chief of the Trial Division.

Melissa Martinez of the Witness Aid Services Unit and Investigative Analysts Marisa Calleja and Meghan Cleary assisted with the case.

District Attorney Vance thanked Police Commissioner Kelly, NYPD Sergeant Joseph Panico, and NYPD Detectives John Kopack, Jessica Sterling, and William McCabe, who were supervised by Lieutenant Michael Costello and Deputy Inspector Anthony Favale.

District Attorney Vance also thanked Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York James T. Hayes, Jr., and Agents Shawn Polonet and Keith Hufford; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Paul and John Gallagher; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Allentown Police Department Vice Unit; and the Pennsylvania State Police.

Defendant Information:

VINCENT GEORGE, JR., D.O.B. 05/25/1978
Allentown, PA

Convicted:
• Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, a class D felony, one count
• Money Laundering in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count
• Money Laundering in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, two counts

VINCENT GEORGE, SR., D.O.B. 03/17/1957
Queens, NY

Convicted:
• Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, a class D felony, one count
• Money Laundering in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count

GRIP ENTERTAINMENT

Convicted:
• Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, a class D felony, one count
• Money Laundering in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count