A Manhattan lawyer pleaded guilty Tuesday to running a hooker ring out of a Midtown jiggle joint and was barred from working in - or even going to - strip clubs for five years.
In a no-jail deal with prosecutors, Louis (Big Lou) Posner admitted to a single felony count of promoting prostitution related to a 2008 raid at his now-shuttered Hot Lap Dance Club.
"I was present at the club on a nightly basis and was aware that a number of the dancers were regularly engaged in prostitution in the private rooms," Posner told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus.
"I did not discourage this prostitution activity because it seemed to make the club more popular and increase its revenues, which I shared," he said.
Because he copped to a felony, Posner, 53, will likely loose his law license - but avoids a maximum 15-year prison term in the case.
Posner also admitted to Obus that he pushed prostitution at the Midtown club by hiring many dancers and so making it "difficult for any one of them to make money simply by performing lap dances."
He admitted to "personally engaging" in sexual conduct exchange for allowing dancers to work at the club.
The deal with prosecutors includes dropping the case against Posner's petite wife, Betty, 58, who faced charges of falsifying business records.
Posner, who will have to serve five years probation, is barred from having anything to do with the adult entertainment business.
"He can't associate with any lap dance clubs," Assistant District Attorney Eugene Hurley told the judge, or "any sexually provocative performances"
of any kind - whether live or on the Internet.
Posner also agreed to plead guilty this afternoon to two misdemeanor counts for filing false reports with the NYPD - claiming that vice cops tried to shake him down as the club was busted.
For the misdemeanors, he will serve 60 days of community service, prosecutor said.
More than 20 people, including porn star Alexis Moore, were busted at the club after an undercover vice investigation.
Moore, 26, whose real name is Cassandra Malandri, was acquitted of prostitution charges in January.
The club raked in more than $1 million a year, police said.
Under the deal, $260,000 seized from Posner in the raid is subject to forfeiture proceedings.
His plea comes just weeks before the Posners were set to go to trial, April 1.
Posner turned down two earlier plea offers, including one that would have allowed him to fess up to a misdemeanor - and keep his law license.
This club was listed as one of the best strip clubs in the world by askmen magazine.
Comments
last commentHey! Someone finally owns up to the truth about some strip clubs.
Why was Alexis Moore acquitted again? I found it hard to believe that she really was innocent, especially given this turn of events.
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I think I remember she was the one who used the "Lesbian Defense" She could not be a prostitute because she was gay. Duh, obviously no lesbian would have sex with a guy for money! I think though it was lack of evidence that got her off the hook not her "lesbian defense"
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Here are the old tuscl reviews on it:
tuscl.net
Mostly good ratings for the club and over 90 people still have it on their hotlist.
I liked the review by tuscl member "how".
"Value Rating should be negative ten. An absolute scam from start to finish! This is a club for those with more dollars than sense. (That's not a typo, it's a pun. Get it?)
Seriously, the prices here are outrageous. It would be ridiculously overpriced even if FS were the result, but it's not even a high-mileage prospect. Something is wrong with any establishment like this, but more wrong with us for paying these goons. What a shame.
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HLD employed a LOT of shills to get their TUSCL rating up so high. Good riddance to bad rubbish...
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