New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft faces charges of misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution after an investigation into money laundering and human trafficking at a day spa in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Friday, according to ESPN.
Jupiter police told reporters the 77-year-old billionaire was not arrested yet, but a warrant was issued and his attorneys were notified.
Kraft has denied wrongdoing.
A spokesperson for Kraft released a statement which said: they "categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."
Police said they would release more details about the charges against Kraft until next week.
“He’s being charged with the same offense as the others, and that is soliciting another to commit prostitution,” Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr said at a news conference, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Police said their investigation was focused on money laundering and human trafficking at the spa, but Kraft was caught on video for two separate visits to the location.
Kraft was caught on video on two separate visits to the spa, the police said.
“Obviously our concern in this investigation centers around victims of human trafficking,” he said.
Nearly 200 arrest warrants have been issued in recent days and more are expected to come, according to Jupiter Police, who said they planted undercover cameras in massage parlors which caught interactions between men and the female employees.
Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr said he was shocked to learn Kraft was involved in the prostitution sting.
"We are as equally stunned as everyone else," Kerr said.
The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office, which would prosecute the case, had no comment.
Kraft lives in Massachusetts but also has a home in the Palm Beach area and has been a guest of President Donald Trump at his nearby Mar-a-Lago club.
The NFL did not immediately respond to a message Friday seeking comment, but owners of NFL teams are subject to the NFL's personal conduct policy and are often held at a higher standard than the players.
After Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was arrested on drug charges in 2014, he was fined $500,000 and was suspended for six games.
Former prosecutor David Weinstein said most people arrested in Florida for soliciting a prostitute for the first time are allowed to enter a diversion program, which would require Kraft to perform 100 hours of community service and attend an education program about the negative effects of human trafficking.
-WN.com, Maureen Foody
Photo:
AP / Winslow Townson
