New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is facing multiple misdemeanor charges including solicitation of prostitution after being videotaped arriving at an illegal massage parlor and paying for sex acts in Jupiter, Florida.
Kraft has been arrested and authorities do not plan on releasing the videos as of February 23.
Kraft is being investigated, along with another 25 men, for involvement in what police say is a series of alleged solicitation incidents at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa.
Kraft and his team have publicly denied any involvement and “categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in illegal activity.”
The New England Patriots front office have not provided any comment in the matter but Patriots safety Devin McCourty told NBC Boston that time will tell where the truth lays, “When you see things come out like that you really have to just let it play out.”
Possible punishment from the NFL has not been discussed as the league will await for police to thoroughly reach a lawful conclusion to the investigation which has been active for the past eight months.
Misdemeanor charges such as the ones Kraft faces do not lead to long jail sentences. The State Attorney’s Office in Palm Beach County, Florida said sentences do not exceed more than 60 days. Additional punishment such as community service are frequently included in cases such as this according to CNN legal analyst Paul Callan.
Florida has been long been known for its prostitution activity which has led to the massive undertaking by Florida police to crackdown on the illegal activity. Statewide investigations have been underway and police expect more names to be exposed.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter indicated that Kraft is not the biggest of the names being investigated.
Kraft bought the New England Patriots in 1994 for $172 million. Kraft, along with head coach Bill Belichick and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, have orchestrated one of the most successful dynasties in sports history which continues to live on as the Patriots won their sixth Super Bowl earlier this month, tied for the most in NFL history.
Success on the football field has not been enough to shroud the internal strife and controversy surrounding the Patriots organization throughout the years. Multiple football related scandals such as Spygate and Deflategate have put into question the organization’s honesty. Off-the-field tragedies, such as the murder of Odin Lloyd by then-Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez and Hernandez’s subsequent suicide while in jail, have set a dark light on the Patriots golden era.
Now the Patriots must deal with another scandal, this time involving their owner.
