Police in New York City shut down a Super Bowl sex ring on Thursday, arresting 18 on charges of selling “party packs” of cocaine and sex ahead of Sunday’s game.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office said the arrests came on the heels of an 11-month investigation, the Associated Press reported. The Department of Homeland Security and the New York Police Department joined forces with the state Organized Crime Task Force to conduct the sting, AP reported.
Authorities said they perused business records and conducted other forms of surveillance and found that the leading players laundered money and credit cars through various clothing, wig and beauty supply businesses, as well as a limousine company, in order to hide their illegal dealings.
Investigators said prostitutes would actually cart the cocaine to those clients who ordered the party packs, according to AP. The operation was based in Manhattan, but included clients and businesses in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, and other localities.
Operation heads sent one text to regular customers in the New Jersey Meadowlands area that “new sexy & beautiful girls R in town waiting for u,” AP reported.
The party packs reportedly went for as much as $10,000 per night.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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