Police said Kraft received oral sex and manual stimulation; his charges were dropped while spa workers pleaded guilty
Reporting and findings
- reported
Palm Beach charging documents said hidden video showed Robert Kraft receiving oral and manual sex during his second visit to Orchids of Asia in less than 24 hours, then giving the worker a $100 bill and another bill. Prosecutors charged Kraft with two misdemeanor solicitation counts. Courts suppressed the video because the surveillance violated the Fourth Amendment, and prosecutors dropped his charges. The Washington Post reported that four spa workers entered prostitution-related guilty pleas; two were women Kraft was accused of patronizing. Lei Chen spent 60 days in jail awaiting disposition and was sentenced to time served. Other workers received fines, probation, community service or forfeiture obligations. Kraft was not convicted.
- Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal: State of Florida v. Robert Kraft, consolidated opinionConsolidated opinion affirming suppression because the video warrants and monitoring failed Fourth Amendment minimization requirements
- ESPN: Patriots owner Robert Kraft charged on two counts of first-degree solicitationCharging-document account of the second visit, oral and manual sex, cash payment and two solicitation counts
- The Washington Post: Robert Kraft dodged charges from prostitution sting. The Orchids of Asia employees did not.Worker plea outcomes, fines, probation, forfeiture and Lei Chen's 60 days in custody
Summary and current status
The billionaire customer defeated the hidden-video evidence. Four workers still entered guilty pleas, and Lei Chen spent 60 days jailed awaiting the outcome of her case.
Kraft was not convicted; four workers pleaded guilty and one spent 60 days in custody
People and organizations
- Robert KraftCustomer charged in the separately dismissed solicitation case