Reuters/Claro Cortes IV
A prostitute waits for customers at a popular bar district in Shanghai June 7, 2003.
"Drug trafficking and prostitution are a scourge on communities across our state," Attorney General Schneiderman said. "My office will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement on multi-agency investigations like this one to take down networks of criminals who exploit women and poison our communities for profit."
The ring planned to market its services especially aggressively this weekend, as mostly male sports fans flooded the city for the Super Bowl.
Ten days before the game, regulars got a text message blast that read:"new sexy & beautiful girls R in town waiting for u." Authorities hope to gain more information about "party packs" planned during this weekend's game.
The AG's office alleges that commonly, if a client ordered a party pack with a credit card, the ring would send in more prostitutes after the client was really high, charging the john for more and more prostitutes and drugs. This could result in charges of upwards of $10,000 a night.
The ring made millions doing this, according to authorities, and laundered the money through several fronts, including a limosine service, a clothing wholesaler, a wig wholesaler, and a beauty supply wholesaler