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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.
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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.”
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Arrest and prosecution for marijuana and prostitution are the two biggest money wasters in the entire nation. I would almost bet tht we could balance the budget if we, as a nation, stopped this ridiculous waste of time, resources and money. Portugal may have gotten it right.
Made millions - sentenced to four months (already served) in jail.
Crime does seem to pay.
She really needs to be deported. She is convicted of a felony, she needs to leave.
There must be a better way to use the resources of the constabulary ?
I mean, come on, FIVE YEARS of so called investigation?
I would take a look at the whereabouts of the 'investigators ' during this FIVE YEAR period.
They probably had other jobs which paid them 'on the side' quite like the 'crime' they were allegedly investigating.
Come on five years to probe a 'prostitution' case?
Maybe they were being 'paid off' by her and when she decided to stop the payments she was 'hauled' in by the FIVE YEAR team.
I would likely fire anyone who took FIVE YEAR to prove a prostitution case.
If you add up the actual time spent of that five years, it probably only amounts to five months (a couple hours here, a couple there, maybe a weekend watching and reporting). But, if the madam and/or escort is careful - and non-drug addled, independent escorts and truly cautious handlers tend to be VERY careful - prostitution is difficult to catch "in the act." Then it can take as much as five years, without "sampling" any goods to come up with a prosecutable offense. (Besides, madams and escorts don't allow "sampling." No pay, no play.)
Five year investigation? All for a time-served sentence? Seems like a poor use of limited tax dollars. Don't they have any violent crime in New York?
I love it! She spends time in prison for prostitution,which by the way,should be legalized and taxed, then there's a chance she can be deported.
Meanwhile,back at the Mexican Border,you have illegals going in and out like a revolving door,and the U S government selling guns to the drug lords!
Yup that's called justice for some,and nothing for others.Talk about hypocrasy,Holy Crap!
Is it possible that General Petraeus might have sought out her services during his distinguished career?
Both men and women love sex. Its fun. Its healthy. There is no reason not to have recreational sex now that women have the freedom to prevent pregnancy.
The moral limitation placed of having sex with anyone but a marriage partner is long gone. Now, the sin in not in the act, but getting caught. Ask any politician.
Make it legal. Regulate it. Tax it.
This gets the pantload of the day award. If this guilty plea makes her a pimp, it also makes the Manhattan District D.A.s office a bastian of overreach and stupidity. What a monster waste of time and resources for this pitiful outcome - kind of like a braggart at the bar boasting about penis size and when he has to show it, the flacid 2-inch appendage is not so impressive. Come to think of it, that's not much of a pantload afterall.
Did she force the women under her into prostitution? If not, then there is no victim for this crime. Prostitution is the world's oldest profession and it is absurd that we tell people what they can and cannot do with their bodies. If someone is forcing another individual into prostitution, that is a completely different scenario and the person forcing the other should be prosecuted. I don't see anywhere in this article that she forced women into prostitution so it seems like shes just being punished for another one of our overreaching puritanical laws IMHO.
This is the stupist crap I've heard. This is the work of jealous women, for sure. Or maybe cops that want something to do. Waste of money. As far as morality goes, abortion is immoral and it's legal.
This is stupid.. Prostitution is no different that the women who go home with a man on a one night stand..
If you ask me she is no different than e-harmony or anyother dating site...
i'll give 5 to 1 odds she was collecting welfare. I say cane her, take what possessions she has and send her back to scotland
You'd lose your bet; she wasn't on welfare. Look at the story from other sources: she was married and well-to-do even before she began her dating service.
What if a woman pays a man to bang her..is that illegal..? Why is ply for pay illegal anyway??Is it a religious thing? Then any law outlawing it is unconstitutionally...perhaps one of you legal experts can explain to us why paying for sex is illegal??? Rich guys who marry knockout babes and buy em diamonds and whatever they want..is that prostitution...how about a husband who has to bring his wife loot to get laid..why isn't that illegal? This whole idea of sex between 2 or more consenting adults being illegal if favors or money is involved is ludicrous. Lets save a lot of money the government wastes by not telling 2 adults they can't exchange fluids for monet...this is so stupid I can't believe this kind of law is still enforced
make her pay taxes on the millions, deport her to Nevada and hope that the National Enquirer doesn'nt FOIA the list of "workers" and "clients"
As far as I know, no citizen-owned (private) company can use the FOIA against another private company, but they can invoke the FOIA from gov't agencies.
New York is the most screwed up city in the world. It is capitalism without morals, values or principles..and plenty of money addicts, sex addicts and hypocrisy addicts (think Elliot Spitzer). Nothing wrong with prostitution if it is safe, clean, involves people who volunteer and are physically and medically protected, and negotiate safely with their clients. But the higher echelons of New York society always pretends to be up standing, high standing, moral, and ethical...while also being preachy. You'll see these arrogant fools in Columbia University too. One woman make my wife, then a doctoral student, drive her around like her chauffeur and did not even talk to her. Imagine the arrogance these New Yorkers: of whatever persuasion have. They are more classist and castesit than India, Bangladesh or any third world.
This woman came from Scotland and made money the New York way...why is she being punished. What about all those rich guys who used the services. They get no punishment or revealation. The woman should print their names and make some more money...if she does not get killed.
This woman is an entrepreneur. She has a family to feed. She took the bull by the horns and found a way to put a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food on the table.
"“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 why is that? Employees at Wal-Mart aren't being pimped out? Oh, I see, it's just because employees of Wal-Mart don't use their sexual parts! Once a penis and vagina are involved, it's a felony!
When will humanity grow up?
Maybe the question should be, "When will Americans grow up?" I'd say we're in the pre-teen/early teen stages of a country (between 11 & 14 years old in human mentality). That's when our bodies start doing so many interesting things and making us feel good in countless ways. It's fun and scary, it's new words and slang words, it's... it's... gasp, it's sexuality making up its mind!
All kidding aside, America is still a child to most of older Europe (with some notable exceptions, of course). Over there, well into their 50s and 60s (and even 70s and 80s) about sexual matters, Europeans scratch their heads, confused over America's insistence of holding onto outdated and wrong-headed puritanical thinking in general. About sexual matters, Europeans simply look at each other and shrug, then they pat us on our little heads and send us back to our nursery with a glass of water.
So, for me, the question needs to be, "When will America grow up?" My answer: probably not in my lifetime - although I'll do what I can to facilitate the changes needed.
how many days went by and how much tax payer money did he spend before the undercover cop made the arrest??? All the while law officers and judical are making a big deal over this, I didn't hear that they had to beat the girls to go on dates, how many pounds of meth where sold to teens right under their noses?????
I must say that she made my last trip to New York very memorable. The best looking women ever and superbly mannered. No wonder the cops wanted to check it out for five years! Stay strong Anna!
Who were the high level customers and what happened to her "Accountant" money launderer Jonas Gayer?