On The Madam's List? D.C. Wants To Know
POSTED: Tuesday, March 13, 2007
UPDATED: 4:58 pm EDT March 13,
2007
WASHINGTON -- The former owner of an escort service in the nation's capital has pleaded not guilty to racketeering.
Deborah Jean Palfrey, of Vallejo, Calif., has been released but ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device.The alleged "D.C. Madam" ran Pamela Martin and Associates, an upscale escort service in the Washington area, from her home for 13 years before it closed in August.A federal indictment alleges it was a prostitution ring that yielded $2 million in assets. In October, the federal government froze the assets after an IRS investigation. Palfrey is suing to have the assets returned.Palfrey is threatening to make public a list of 15,000 numbers from her client base to help her defense. A federal judge has delayed a ruling on a request to block her from publicizing the list.Her attorney in a separate civil suit, Montgomery Blair Sibley, said that Palfrey has her "back to the wall," and that there are at least 12 news organizations and publications interested in seeking access to those lists. Sibley did not say the client list was for sale, rather he said Palfrey wanted to "partner" with someone who could "mine the list on what went on," which Palfrey insisted was not illegal sexual activity.Prosecutors said the call-girl service hired college-educated women to cater to men in hotels and homes in Washington and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs.Palfrey denied any role in illegal activities and said that for 13 years she headed a "legal, high-end erotic fantasy service."Sibley also announced that Palfrey has filed another suit in federal court against Dr. Paula Neble and 15 Jane Does seeking damages in excess of $75,000.The suit contends that Neble materially breached her contract with Palfrey "by engaging in illegal sexual activities with customers of the escort service without the knowledge or consent of Plaintiff."The court filing states that Neble signed a contract with Pamela Martin and Associates "to solely provide legal sexual services to the customers of the escort service thereby establishing a legitimate bond between the parties."
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Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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