The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania today announced the filing of a Criminal Information charging money laundering and criminal forfeiture allegations against Philadelphia-based corporations, R.S. Duffy, Inc. and National A-1 Advertising, Inc., and a plea agreement calling for the forfeiture of $4.9 million and a $1.5 million fine.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, the Information, filed in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, alleges that the corporate defendants operated an Internet enterprise called Escorts.com which facilitated interstate prostitution activities. The defendants allegedly developed and operated an Internet website, using the domain name Escorts.com, and created an on-line network for prostitutes, escort services, and others to advertise their illegal activities to consumers and users of those services.
The Information alleges that the defendants received subscription fees and payments in the form of money orders, checks, and credit card credits, and wire transfers from users of Escorts.com throughout the nation. The funds the defendants allegedly received were the proceeds of violations of federal laws prohibiting interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises, specifically prostitution, and aiding and abetting such travel.
The money laundering conspiracy charge alleges that the defendants agreed to engage in monetary transactions in property of a value greater than $10,000 derived from those unlawful activities. In addition, the Information alleges that in connection with the operation of Escorts.com, the defendants created and maintained a network of Internet customer service accounts which facilitated and caused the transfer and movement of the proceeds of these unlawful activities from locations throughout the United States
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