Prosecutors drop massage parlor sex charge against Patriots owner Robert Kraft

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Florida prosecutors have dropped a solicitation of prostitution charge against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft after two courts blocked use of video evidence that allegedly shows the 79-year-old billionaire paying for sex at a massage parlor in 2019. 

Palm Beach County court records show that the misdemeanor charge was dropped Thursday. 

‘Although there was probable cause to make an arrest, the evidence cannot prove all legally required elements of the crime alleged and is insufficient to support a criminal prosecution,’ state attorney David Aronberg wrote in a court document.  

The Florida 4th District Court of Appeal found last month that Jupiter police violated the rights of Kraft and others when they secretly installed video cameras inside massage rooms at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in early 2019. The court then blocked use of the video footage at trial.  

‘I stand behind the decision to file the case,’ Aronberg added in a video press conference following the decision to drop charges. ‘The Orchids of Asia Day Spa was a notorious brothel in a family shopping center right next to a game room that attracted children.’  

The unpublicized video recordings are the only purported evidence implicating Kraft. 

Of the other 21 men charged, 14 cases were dropped Thursday and three were dropped earlier, court records show. Two men went through a diversion program, paying more than $5,000 in costs. One pleaded guilty last year and paid $323 in court costs.

However, felony charges against the Orchids of Asia spa owners may proceed.

Through his attorneys, Kraft has requested that the videos be destroyed to prevent them from being publicized.

‘Only by ordering the State to destroy the Videos and to comply with interim measures securing them can the Court guard against the palpable risk of further leak or misuse and correspondingly vindicate the constitutional principles and rights that are at stake in this case,’ wrote Kraft’s attorney, Frank Shepherd.  

A county court judge originally threw out the recordings, saying the warrant allowing the cameras’ installation didn’t sufficiently protect the privacy of innocent customers who received legal massages. The 4th District agreed, ruling that planting video cameras in private spaces is an ‘extreme’ measure that should only be used when absolutely necessary.

‘To permit otherwise would yield unbridled discretion to agents of law enforcement and the government, the antithesis of the constitutional liberty of people to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures,’ the court ruled.

Prosecutors argued that they needed the recordings to convict the Orchids of Asia owners of felonies, including possible human trafficking – though no one was charged with that crime. The owners must be shown receiving payments from the prostitutes and the only way to get that is to install cameras, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Kraft would have likely received a fine, community service and other sanctions that did not include jail time.

Kraft, who is worth almost $7 billion according to Forbes, employed several high-priced attorneys to defend him in the case.

Kraft and others were charged in February 2019 in a multi-county investigation of massage parlors that included the secret installation of video cameras in the spas’ lobbies and rooms. Police say the recordings show Kraft and other men engaging in sex acts with women and paying them.

Kraft visited the Orchids of Asia day spa in Jupiter, Florida twice in a 24-hour span in January, according to police records.

The first visit occurred on January 19, 2019, when Kraft allegedly received hand stimulation from 45-year-old spa manager Lei Wang and a 58-year-old spa employee named Shen Mingbi.

Neither Wang nor Mingbi are believed to be victims of human trafficking.

According to the affidavit, Kraft paid both women with a $100 bill.

Both Wang and Mingbi face prostitution charges.

The second visit occurred on January 20, 2019, just hours before Kraft flew to Kansas City for the AFC Title game between the Patriots and the Kansas City Chief.

That day, Kraft allegedly received oral sex from Wang, who is known as ‘Lulu.’ Kraft allegedly paid her with a $100 bill and another unidentified bill before leaving. 

The NFL has insisted that Kraft will not get any special treatment as it addresses his sex solicitation case.

‘Our Personal Conduct Policy applies equally to everyone in the NFL. We will handle this allegation in the same way we would handle any issue under the Policy,’ it said in a statement after Kraft was charged.

‘We are seeking a full understanding of the facts, while ensuring that we do not interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation. We will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts.’ 

Commissioner Roger Goodell could fine or suspend Kraft from any activities involving this year’s Super Bowl champions, and there will likely be a league inquiry.

The NFL’s personal conduct policy states that ‘ownership and club or league management have traditionally been held to a higher standard and will be subject to more significant discipline. 

‘It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. We are all held to a higher standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful,’ it states. 

Although he may not be guilty in the legal sense, Kraft did offer an apology in March of 2019.

‘I am truly sorry,’ he wrote. ‘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.

‘Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being. I have extraordinary respect for women; my morals and my soul were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as my partner for 50 years.’

Kraft’s wife Myra died from cancer in 2011 at age 68. The two were married in 1963 and had four children together.

In 2012, it was revealed that Kraft was dating actress and model Ricki Noel Lander, 39.

Lander did give birth to a child in 2017, and while there was speculation it was his, Kraft has denied being the father.

The two attended Super Bowl LIII together on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, but various reports have described the pair’s relationship as ‘off and on.’