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Andrew Kelly / Reuters
Anna Gristina sits in the Manhattan Supreme Court for sentencing in New York, Nov. 20, 2012.
NEW YORK -- The suburban mother of four accused of running an upscale escort service in Manhattan has been sentenced to time served after pleading guilty in late September to one count of promoting prostitution.
When a judge asked if she had anything to say in court Tuesday, Anna Gristina said, "It's probably better that I don't, Your Honor."
The 44-year-old Gristina's guilty plea stemmed from a July 2011 tryst she allegedly arranged involving two women and an undercover officer posing as a client. She was arrested in February and spent four months behind bars, which covers the jail portion of her sentence. She also faces five years probation.
Though she will not serve additional jail time, Gristina could face deportation to her native Scotland because she has pleaded guilty to committing a crime. Her attorney, Norm Pattis, said her legal team hasn't heard from federal officials on the matter at this point.
Also on NBCNewYork.com: Hunt on for serial killer of Brooklyn shopkeepers
Prosecutors had said their vie-year investigation revealed Gristina had a roster of wealthy, well-placed clients and boasted of law enforcement connections during 15 years in a business that made her millions.
She maintained she was merely starting a dating service.
After Tuesday's sentencing, the Manhattan district attorney's office said in a statement, "“There is nothing glamorous about prostitution. Anna Gristina rented women’s bodies for profit, which makes her a pimp. That also makes her a felon, and the court has now issued that judgment. She has no one to blame but herself for her decisions.”
Leave a Comment:
What this woman did is illegal..we know that. However, after a FIVE YEAR investigation which revealed clients who were rich and connected, we don't hear a peep as to their identities nor were they arrested. So tired of the prostitutes being arrested, names being published, and serving time, while their clients go untouched. Why is their part in this any different? When will the johns start paying the same price as the prostitutes? Of course, it's a rhetorical question, since the very people who prosecute and sentence these women (or men) are likely among the clientele. Such a double-standard.
I'll agree with you if what you're saying is that none of them should be arrested, but that instead, the entire process should be made legal, available and SAFE.
In this story they state she made millions, but nothing as to what happened to those millions. Did she launder the money or what. If she made all that money maybe she should have to pay all the taxes she never declared and pay for the five year investigation otherwise she got off cheap and crime pays.
so you're saying, this woman needs a legal "pass", simply based upon her gender, then ?
That's a double standard - as much as saying that men and women are equal. we're not.
proof - men do not have offspring. let's START there.
what was this "mommy" doing for her kids ? it was illegal, no matter how dignified the application of the money.
tough $hit.
First take all of her illegal gain money..then deport the Bi**h!
They should charge her for tax evasion too..no doubt she didn't claim that money on tax returns!
Um, no. You either seem to be failing at reading or logic. Asking about a double standard does not mean advocating for the reverse of that double standard. The fact that you view equal treatment as a 'double standard' because (apparently) men have built-in biological advantages that should be considered in their favor, is a weak invention of your own. and as for tough $hit, just remember who pays for all the lifetime welfare for folks we toss in jail - that's right, that would be you.
Dave is spot on. Making it illegal is like banning alcohol.
I say, let her keep the business! Just make her pay back taxes and taxes going forward. It's a win win for everyone!
I just don't understand how this is illegal, but guys can go to a strip club pay a little extra to go to the "pirvate" room and get sexual favors. What's the effing difference? And you know the strippers aren't claiming their taxes on the tips they get.
So long as you videotape it, and plan to release the video, you can get women to do all sorts of things that are illegal for prostitutes.
Bring a camera, insist you run a small web-site.
Actually, most places are different, the johns are usually named and the hookers are let go with a fine.
What I found disturbing, is the article says she may be deported for commiting a crime, but we let illegals here by the truckloads, isnt that breaking the law too? Maybe she didnt vote Dem?
#1.10 Reply
"That also makes her a felon, and the court has now issued that judgment."
I dont see what is illegal about it, The US Govt has been doing the same thing to the American people for so long AND they get away with it. What got her into trouble is SHE made a profit from it and the US Govt cant figure out how to even do that right! She made millions doing it and the US Govt is TRILLIONS in debt for doing it wrong. HELL put her in congress, let her run the purse strings for a while. I'm sure most of the congressMEN know her already anyway.
So if she is a felon for doing what the US Govt does what does that make the US Govt?
This was five years of investigating and God only knows how much money wasted on this!! She was not using children in her business, this was between consensual adults. As sleazy as I think it is, it was victimless. If law enforcement took as much time and effort into cracking down on people smuggling children into the country as slaves and/or forcing them into the sex trade, the country would be a better place!!!
Absolutely right. They probably gave her a token sentence in return for her not disclosing the names of the rich and powerful scumbags who bought her services.
Perhaps they should name the next major East Coast hurricane "Anna".
Prostitution should be legal and licensed along with pot sales. A lot safer than snagging something in a bar with STD.
Sex, vital organs and children are the only things that you can give away, but can't sell.
Both should be regulated and taxed. Prostitutes should have to be licensed by the dept of health and have to under go routine medical checks. Pot should be taxed like any other product. We'd stop spreading disease and would have no deficit to speak of. Makes too much sense so it will never happen.
Cappy - right up my alley in thought process, with all the casual sex these days it's giving it away for free...does that make rape merely 'stealing'? I mean it seems like nobody cares anymore, there are no values... and despite being atheist/agnostic mix, my values are higher than a lot of Cathoholics.
Cappy..tell Cheney that..he brought three hearts in 10 months for himself, somebody sold it to him.
I always thought he was a heartless bastard.
Top flight police work. Hope they had fun. During this long time period I must assume that there were no robberies, rapes, child molestations, drugs being sold near school yards or to children, car jackings or burglaries. Whew, we are now safe from this evil woman.
A waste of time and money, there should be no laws against victimless crime. These laws are on the books because it violates puritanical morals. Why not go one step further and start using Biblical law to stone people to death for moral violations.
Prostitution is a victimless crime? That is just not true. Maybe this high class kind of prostitution is victimless (maybe) but there are many instances of prostitution where the women involved, while not necessarily 'forced' into doing it, are nevertheless participating because they feel it is their only option left to support themselves or their family. Hardly victimless.
Yeah, that's called a JOB.
Yeah, but ditchdiggers and dishwashers, on the other hand, feel theirs is a divine vocation?
@HChris
So prostitution is the only answer for these men and women who need to support their familes? PUH-LEEZ! So you're telling me that people who go into prostitution have no other work opportunity other than selling their body for sex? The reason someone willingly goes into prostitution is for the quick buck? McDonalds is always hiring, only they pay a measely minimum wage which cant compare in hourly rate to prostitution. A consenting adult should be allowed to prostitute themselves if they want. No victim should mean no crime.
Why, in this country called 'America', where we supposedly have freedoms do we not have the freedom to choose to do with our OWN bodies as we please.
The hypocrisy is mind-blowing. I can offer a woman a ring to wear as a symbol of a relationship after having sex with me; but I cannot offer a woman cash as a symbol of a relationship [albeit a much shorter term] prior to having sex. Mond-biggling.
"They hate us for our freedoms" We all assumed that 'they' refered to Muslim terrorist....however, all fingers are starting to point to those people in power that try to control our simple freedoms and bodies; soon enough, our minds.
just a bunch of b.s. now they have to think of another way to waste more tax payer money. if they deport her they should deport all the criminal Mexican scum in this country as well. OH that's right they are going to figure out a way for them to stay here.
#6
We can not even defend our borders from illegals here on our own turf, BUT we held the 38th parallel over a 1000 miles away. See anything wrong here? Maybe we should defend our borders the same way we defended the 38th parallel back in the day.
or maybe we should Nuke'em till they glow then shoot 'em in the dark.
Just prior to 9/11 the FBI had 2 dozen officers in New Orleans investigating the prostitution trade. At the same time the FBI had 1 agent investigating terrorism for the entire country.
Some good posts here. It it is legal in Nevada....why not ? Mr. Harris...well said. Yep, those boys in blue made sure everything was good before they had their "massage". The old double standard is playing big time. However, she needs to write that book. The old fashioned Tell All. Face it, no man does anything without a reason or a purpose!
Then, watch the Blue Bugs head for the sunset, or another state or to their precinct boss. Well duh? the head precinct boss was in on it too! Hope she stored the cash in another name, in another city. Perhaps she banks where Mitt Romney does....something off shore?
She looks like she could suck start a Harley, and has been run over by at least one...
I can start a Harley. What does that have to do with anything? I turn the key like most others. As we real women bikers say to creepy men like you..."$15,000 and 15 miles does not make you a "biker". Seems like you must require a "suck "start too!! Now that makes you head of the No Class !!! Laughing out loud all this afternoon. Maybe you should go "nuture" yourself!!! Still LOL...men, you always think you are all that. I tell my 3 grandie girls...watch out for two types of men...the braggers and the selfish! And then of course, the men who suck anything!!! Still LOLOLO
Maybe so, but I like the way she looks. . . hot!
How is this any different than AdultFriendFinder or any of the other "hook-up" sites. You are in a way paying for a service to find someone to screw around with. You are going to fault this woman for something that major companies are already doing and getting paid to do it?
Most dating websites are now focused on hook-ups and finding a "friend". C'mon. Give this woman a break... More power to a woman who can charge obscene amounts of money that these "gentleman" pay for, just so they can get a piece of a$$. Regardless if it is "prostitution" or a "Dating Site".
;)
Five years!!! It took them FIVE YEARS to determine this woman had been running a prostitution ring for a total of FIFTEEN YEARS???
They felt obligated to sample her "goods" for the full five years, to make sure they had enough evidence. LOL
Put the entire Manhattan DA's office in jail. That would make me feel safer than jailing this woman.
What a waste of time and resources.
Prostitution is a victimless "crime". While most women wouldn't choose it as a profession, sometimes their bodies are all they have to sell. That it is against the law is purely because of the dominance of religion over common sense.
Twice I have been burgled. The officers who reluctantly visited me didn't bother looking for evidence or fingerprints. They had no intention of investigating; they were too busy with other things. If the police spent no time at all investigating victimless offences and if all drugs use were legalized (though certainly some drugs should be controlled, others should simply be taxed), they would have more time to spend on real crime.
The Ten Commandments say thou shalt not steal (vulture capitalism falls under this restriction) and thou shalt not kill (as in corporate negligent homicide) and thou shalt not bear false witness (politicians, including those on the far right who trumpet their Christianity, fall under this rule). There is no mention at all about selling one's body (adultery is different). And how come the johns are never punished? And ditto the johns of child prostitutes who are arrested, punished and penalized for being the victims of pedophilia???? Our legal system is twisted.
Wow, Stuttgart. That's a pretty bitter statement. Especially given that there are many women who bring home the lions share of the income for their households.
You are twisted.
Stuttgart -
We're all prostitutes in one way or another.
Stuttgart -- you're not succeeding ... you're offending most people.
With all the criminal politicians running around, why is the government squandering taxpayer money busting mothers helping others commit unpopular acts that harm no one, not even society?
Sex happens between adults. Get over it.
Nobody is ever convicted of prostitution. Prostitution is the act of engaging in sexual intercourse for money. The police would have to see the transaction to arrest someone for prostitution. What they always arrest you for is saying a series of words (which is a first amendment problem). In that series of words includes a sex act and a price. That is why I never understood why the prostitute conversation that seems tailored to arrest you has never changed. It goes like this. You a cop? No. You? No. Prove it. Then the guy whips out his piece and the girl flashers her jugs (which police are allowed to do while undercover). Then she asks what do you want to do and he says an act asks how much or he asks how much for an act. Then the bust signal is given and everybody goes to jail. Why doesn’t the guy just say I would like you to be my girlfriend. She says OK. The guy says my girl friends always give me insert sex act. And then he says I always buy my girlfriends a sweater that costs insert dollar amount here but I don’t have time to shop so here is the money. That is an interaction between a boyfriend and girl friend and perfectly legal as long as they don’t do the act in public.
Well said. The john can also first ask to take naked photos of the supposed prostitute in exchange for cash (a strictly legal transaction). Any prostitute would readily agree to this transaction while any undercover cop would not. Easy way to determine if the prostitute is really a prostitute.
"The Ten Commandments say thou shalt not steal (compulsory union membership and excessive taxation falls under this restriction) and thou shalt not kill (as in abortion, especially late-term abortions) and thou shalt not bear false witness (politicians, including those on the far left who trumpet their "tolerance", and those in the Obama administration who lied about Benghazi to protect a false reputation, fall under this rule)."
What a waste of tax dollars. Like the police don't have anything better to do like arrest real criminals. It's the oldest profession in the world and it's not going to be exported to 3rd world countries, so make it legal, make it safer and tax it. After all, it is the 21st century.
Its a waste of tax dollars, but i believe the decision to legalize it or not should be left to the state.
Already looking forward to read her book, and you thought she made a lot of money till now?
another self serving tramp
Once again the rich protect themselves
A four-month sentence for pimping? I can't imagine that any male who has committed that crime has gotten off so easy.
Just like the marijuana issue I see people saying "it should be legal anyway". Well, it isn't. It's a felony and this woman will be deported. So many think just because they feel something should not, or in other cases should be legal, their opinion should be law. Well just like marijuana, prostitution in most states and federally will never be legal. Our goal as a society, or our solution to a financial problem, should not include promoting immoral behavior. I'm all for people having freedom of choice but I'm also for keeping our society from falling even further into the immoral abyss. We have so many more important issues I find it sad and disgusting so many are focusing on how we can make our world more accessible to these personal fixes and ills instead of working to create a society that doesn't need them. If I want pot I grow it or go find it, if I want sex and can't get a partner at that time I masturbate. Why are those of you who are for the most part independent of government now asking government to legalize and regulate, and tax something you can do for yourself? Our nation is growing so morally weak it makes even someone like me who lived a party life the first half of my life, cringe. I don't want drugs and prostitution to be the norm, is that so wrong other then it's selfish? Grow up people, there are so many more important things in life.
DO us a favor, hold your breath? Because marijuana is going to be legal SOON. Within ten years.
Your immorality does not match mine, and it should NOT be legislated as it has been for centuries.
The whole idea of morality is such a subjective term. What you deem immoral may not conform with my definition of morality so why should one opinion be more valuable than another. the fact of the matter is that there is no victim in a case of willing prostitution. It is not the government's role to get involved in this. No one is getting physically injured so the government should back off. For all you morality Nazi's out there, you can live within your moral standards, but dont impose your personal beliefs on my existence. I'm going to smoke weed , drink booze, not go to church ever, eat pork, and will continue to have sex before marriage and there is nothing your God is going to do about it. The government can sure try on the first one, but its going to be hard to prove it. So sick of the holier than thou's in the world.
Don't know why it's illegal. Hell, the fed's still money from you and me every day and use it to buy votes so they can continue on. Read the new Healthcare letter out today and you see the seniors will take it in the shorts and freebee's of $6,000. or more will come out your and my pocket for the laggers. To me that's thievery and I don't even get a right to stop it. She, did wrong, but if were going to prosecute wrong then let's bust the government for there stupidity and thievery.
Entrepreneurial spirit! America needs jobs, and she was providing at least 3 different types of jobs.
Who is the government to tell a woman what she can do with her body? LMAO!!!
What, blow jobs, hum jobs, and knob jobs?