Phoenix police arrested 23 people involved in an alleged prostitution ring Monday after a year-long investigation, authorities said. It was the largest prostitution bust in the history of the state.
Investigators said among those arrested was Valley physician Ross Levatter. Authorities said he was not only a customer, but he had a say in the hiring and firing of the prostitutes.
Paul Nichta, 32, ran Night Entertainment Partners, an umbrella organization that provided prostitutes through Web sites such as Desert Divas, AZ Confidential, Hips Tours and Escorts in Action, police said.
According to investigators, the organization involved more than 100 people - mostly prostitutes, but with many in management roles. The organization served hundreds of customers and filmed pornographic acts with the prostitutes that were available online, police said.
Clients ordered services through the various Web sites, investigators said. Nichta also held weekly "meet and greets" at Valley restaurants so that prospective customers could meet the escorts in person, according to authorities.
The escorts were allegedly recruited through ads in the ‘New Times' and Web sites promising incomes of up to $30,000 dollars per month. Two former escorts told police they made approximately $2,000 per night, but could also earn an additional $15,000 dollars a night in tips.
On Monday, Valley police and deputies served nine search warrants and arrested some of the top members of the organization, authorities said.
"Because of the amount of money that was involved, we have seized several high-end cars, Lamborghinis, Mercedes, we have about 4 or 5 more cars to go through. We've got bank accounts that have been frozen, houses that have been seized," said Phoenix Police lieutenant Bill Schemers.
The 23 people arrested were Nichta; Levatter; Scott Eder, 35; Peter Shifman, 56; Billi Mayfield, 19; Adam Beech, 25; Charles Sanders, 29; Louis Sterling, 55; William Ferretti, 65; Chloe Magouliotis, 23; Luna Kursta, 24; Allison Brown, 20; Leslie Burton 28; Amy Pickens, 37; Sandra Molini, 27; Sara Scott, 21; Tiffany Haltom, 24; Kari Fager, 21; Brie George, 31; Sara Broadhead, 31; Amber Butler 23; Michelle Sakuei, 28; and Heidi Schreider-Rendon, 29.
Another 50 people were indicted.
"It's a very extensive case," said Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris. "It's going to be going on and will probably be in the news for quite some time, but we want to thank everyone that has been a part of that partnership and putting this together."
According to authorities, Nichta's criminal enterprise dropped a quarter of a million dollars in the bank per month. His charges include money laundering and pandering.
Officers also confiscated six rifles, 12 handguns and two silencers at Nichta's Paradise Valley residence, police said.
Some women have also been arrested on prostitution charges, investigators said, and they expect arrests to continue in the weeks ahead.
‘We're going to go through those ledgers, we'll go through the computer information that they have, they'll make a determination whether things are substantiated or not and that's gonna take some time," said Phoenix Police Department spokesman Andy Hill.
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