Police seized almost $200,000 in connection with a Florida massage parlor where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was accused of paying for sexual acts, court records released Tuesday show.
Search warrants show Jupiter police found $183,000 in bank safety deposit boxes belonging to two women who authorities say owned the spa and an employee. Officers also froze numerous bank accounts belonging to Orchids of Asia Spa owners Hua Zhang and Lei Wang, but the amounts in those accounts were not released. They say they also seized the business's surveillance equipment. The women are charged with numerous felonies involving a prostitution business, while Kraft is charged with misdemeanor solicitation. All have denied wrongdoing.
A multi-jurisdiction investigation closed 10 spas between Palm Beach and Orlando and saw 300 men arrested. While no one has been charged with human trafficking, authorities have said they believe the employees were brought to the U.S. from China.
FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2018, file photo, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft walks on the sidelines before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit. Kraft has pleaded not guilty to two counts of misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution. Kraft’s attorney Jack Goldberger filed the written plea in Palm Beach County, Fla., court documents released Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. The 77-year-old Kraft is requesting a non-jury trial. (AP PhotoCarlos Osorio, File)
The search warrants show officers began investigating the spa in late October after receiving a tip from a neighboring county's sheriff's office. Surveillance began Nov. 6. Officers say they observed only men entering the spa and that they would leave after 30 or 60 minutes. Some customers were pulled over for traffic violations after they left and admitted to paying for sex acts, the warrants show.
On Nov. 14, a female health inspector was sent into the spa. She told officers there was evidence that the three female workers were living in the store.
Officers then searched trash bins behind the spa. They say they found evidence of sexual activity.
FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2019, file photo, a sign is posted outside of Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Fla., one of several spas closed in south Florida as a result of a six-month investigation into sex trafficking. The Florida prostitution sting that ensnared New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is a reminder of the human trafficking and abuse taking place behind the darkened windows of many of these storefronts, and how challenging those problems can be to address. (Hannah MorsePalm Beach Post via AP, File)
On Jan. 17, after obtaining a warrant, officers used an undescribed "tactical ruse" to get the employees outside and secretly install surveillance cameras. As officers chatted with the employees, Zhang arrived and told officers she could see their arrival on her cellphone, tipping them off that she had her own camera system installed, the documents show. Officers were able to find those cameras and their recorders, which were later seized.
Police say Kraft, 77, first visited two days after the cameras were installed and again the next morning, shortly before he flew to Kansas City, where he saw his team defeat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
Investigators say they videotaped him engaging in sex acts during both visits and then handing over cash. Kraft, who is worth $6 billion, handed over a $100 bill and another bill after one visit, records show, and an undetermined amount during the other. Two weeks later, the Patriots won the Super Bowl, their sixth under his ownership.
Kraft was charged in late February and has pleaded not guilty. Most men charged for the first time with soliciting are eligible for a diversion program where they pay a $5,000 fine, perform 100 hours of community service and attend a class where they learn about the dangers of prostitution and how it is often tied to human trafficking.
Zhang's attorney, Tama Kudman, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the videos will be challenged and that her client is a victim of stereotyping.
"They are saying every Asian massage parlor is part of a sex trafficking ring and that's outrageous," Kudman told the newspaper. "They are making assumptions based on a particular story line and not taking the time to look at the particular facts about the individual defendants."
A Paris labor court ruled that Paris Saint-Germain must pay more than 60 million euros ($70 million) to Kylian Mbappé in a dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses linked to the end of the France superstar's contract in 2024.
Lawyers argued last month before the Conseil de prud’hommes de Paris in a judicial fight involving colossal sums. On Tuesday, the court sided with Mbappé amid accusations of betrayal and moral harassment that marked the breakdown of his relationship with PSG.
The award roughly corresponds to Mbappé's initial claim of 55 million euros.
“It’s been 18 months indeed that Kylian Mbappé has been asking for the same thing — the payment of his wages, his bonus, for the work he carried out," Mbappé’s lawyer Delphine Verheyden said. "I’m sure he will be happy to close this chapter because it was very important for him to be paid for the work he did while playing for PSG.”
In November, his lawyers claimed that PSG owed him more than 260 million euros, arguing that his fixed-term contract should be reclassified as a permanent one — a move rejected by the judges. Such a reclassification could have triggered compensation for unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, bonuses, and severance.
PSG sought 440 million euros from Mbappé, citing damages and a “loss of opportunity” after he left on a free transfer. The club said it respects the ruling and will comply with it, while reserving all rights to appeal.
“Paris Saint-Germain has acted in good faith and honesty throughout, and we always will,” PSG said. “The club looks forward to the future based on collective unity and success; and we wish the player the best for the future.”
Mbappé's representatives said the ruling “confirms that commitments must be honored. It restores a simple truth: Even in the professional football industry labor law applies to everyone.”
The relationship between the 2018 World Cup winner and the reigning European champion turned bitter when Mbappé decided in 2023 not to extend his contract, which was set to expire in summer 2024.
This deprived the club of a juicy transfer fee despite having offered him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new deal in 2022. He was sidelined from a preseason tour and forced to train with fringe players.
He missed the opening league game but returned to the lineup for a final season after discussions with the club — talks that are central to the dispute.
The club accused Mbappé of backing out of an August 2023 agreement that allegedly included a pay reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG said was meant to protect its financial stability. PSG claimed Mbappé hid his decision not to extend his contract for nearly 11 months, from July 2022 to June 2023, preventing the club from arranging a transfer and causing major financial harm. It accused him of violating contractual obligations and the principles of good faith and loyalty.
Mbappé’s camp insisted PSG has never produced evidence that the striker agreed to forego any payment. His lawyers claimed the club failed to pay wages and bonuses for April, May, and June 2024.
“Mbappé scrupulously fulfilled his sporting and contractual obligations for seven years and right up to the final day,” his advisers said on Tuesday. “He did everything possible to avoid litigation, even going so far as to withdraw a harassment complaint in a spirit of conciliation. In total, he had been seeking payment of his salaries and bonuses for more than 18 months.”
PSG rejected all accusations of harassment, highlighting that Mbappé took part in over 94% of matches in 2023–24 and always worked under conditions compliant with the Professional Football Charter. The club’s claims included 180 million euros for the lost opportunity to transfer Mbappé, who left as a free agent after turning down a 300 million euros offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023.
Mbappé joined PSG from Monaco for 180 million euros. He signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League this year without him.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - PSG striker Kylian Mbappe, right, and PSG president Nasser Al-Al-Khelaifi attend a press conference Monday, May 23, 2022 at the Paris des Princes stadium in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File)
FILE - PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, left, speaks to PSG's Kylian Mbappe as it is announced he has signed a three year extension to his contract, at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, May 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File)
