WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution, but it's now reported that lawyers for the prosecution are arguing he committed a felony.
According to the Sun Sentinel, the latest filing from the Attorney General's Office shows that Kraft could face a third-degree felony charge. The newspaper said the felony would be punishable by up to five years in prison, if the prosecution wins its appeal of a lower court.
The Sun Sentinel said that elevating multiple misdemeanors to a felony is not common.
The Sun Sentinel also referenced a 28-page argument that the state recently tried to file but had rejected because it was 13 pages over the 15-page limit. The paper quoted the argument as saying the following:
"The investigation at issue here culminated in numerous felony charges against the owner, manager, and employees of the Spa. In addition, any person who purchased prostitution services on multiple days, as Mr. Kraft did, committed a felony.”
The Sun Sentinel said on Monday that the appeals court ordered the state to re-file its argument and abide by the 15-page limit.
Kraft was one of several men charged with solicitation after police secretly installed cameras at the Orchids of Asia massage parlor in Jupiter, Florida, in what authorities initially said was an investigation into human trafficking.
Prosecutors have since said they found no evidence of trafficking at the spa.
In May, Judge Leonard Hanser agreed to postpone the trial indefinitely while the state appeals his decision blocking their use of secretly shot video. The footage allegedly shows Kraft twice engaging in sex at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in January.
