Police: Pittsburgh Business Owner Among Those Busted In Florida Prostitution Sting
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Pittsburgh business owner has been identified as one of those charged in a Florida prostitution sting which included New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Police say Mark Bope, 64, of Pittsburgh has been charged with soliciting someone to commit prostitution in Palm Beach County.
Bope owns Architectural Clay Products on the North Side.
KDKA sources also say Bope is also an active member of the Oakmont Country Club.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with two counts of the same crime, and police say they have videotape of him paying for the sex acts inside an illicit massage parlor.
The charges stem from a months long investigation into the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, where two women were arrested last week, according to police.
The spa was among 10 shut down in Orlando, Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast after a several-month investigation revealed women there were in "sexual servitude," according to arrest records.
About 200 arrest warrants have been issued in recent days and more are expected.
"We're as equally stunned as anyone else," said Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr during a Friday morning news conference in reference to Kraft.
Police also confirmed they have video evidence allegedly capturing the sex acts.
According to a criminal complaint, video surveillance captured Bope entering the spa on Jan. 18 and handing a woman cash. Bope was allegedly caught on video going to a massage room and engaging in sexual activity with another woman.
Kraft's name is on a list of 25 people who will face charges in connection to a crackdown on human trafficking and spa sex acts.
Kraft is facing two counts, meaning police have evidence of him inside the spa on two separate occasions.
Police say Kraft was driven to the spa by a chauffeur.
The average cost per visit for services is $59 or $79 per hour, according to police.
The charges are misdemeanors and he will have to appear in court.
Kraft, 77, has owned the Patriots for 25 years. The Patriots have won six Super Bowls during that time, most recently Super Bowl LIII earlier this month in Atlanta.
The NFL said Monday its personal conduct policy applies equally to everyone and it will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts.
Kraft also is CEO of The Kraft Group, a holding company of numerous family businesses including Major League Soccer's New England Revolution, as well as International Forest Products.
Kraft lives in Massachusetts and has a home in the Palm Beach area. He is a frequent guest of President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club.
He has four sons. His wife Myra died in 2011. He has been dating 39-year-old actress Ricki Noel Lander since 2012.
