Anyone surprised? "US man charged with running “sex tours” to Dominican Republic "

[MrHappy]

This is from DominicanToday.com

The dumb schmuck that was offering sextours to the DR on Craigslist....

"Washington.– A Tomkins Cove man has been accused of organizing sex tours to the Dominican Republic where he arranged vacation packages that included “ companion or companions.”
According to the District Attorney's Office, Jonathan Scharf, 49, of 23 Soluri Lane, was arrested yesterday at his home where authorities executed a search warranted and confiscated several computers, the district attorney said. He was charged with two counts of felony third-degree promoting prostitution.
Scharf, who authorities identified as a day trader, has been linked to an advertisement on craigslist.com for "Hot and erotic trip to paradise" that offered monthly excursions to the Dominican Republic with vacation packages offering room, liquor, meals and a companion or companions for the week, officials said.
If convicted, he faces up to seven years in state prison."

[PapiQueRico]

I'm not sure where the real stupidity lies. This guy thinking he could get awsay with doing this from the US, or our laws and LE's interest in this.

I guess the answer is.......BOTH.

[prtyr2]

yeah but if we didn't have the stupid laws he would not be stupid for getting caught;-)

I'm not sure where the real stupidity lies. This guy thinking he could get awsay with doing this from the US, or our laws and LE's interest in this.

I guess the answer is.......BOTH.

[Jimmydr]

This is from DominicanToday.com

The dumb schmuck that was offering sextours to the DR on Craigslist....

"Washington.– A Tomkins Cove man has been accused of organizing sex tours to the Dominican Republic where he arranged vacation packages that included “ companion or companions.”
According to the District Attorney's Office, Jonathan Scharf, 49, of 23 Soluri Lane, was arrested yesterday at his home where authorities executed a search warranted and confiscated several computers, the district attorney said. He was charged with two counts of felony third-degree promoting prostitution.
Scharf, who authorities identified as a day trader, has been linked to an advertisement on craigslist.com for "Hot and erotic trip to paradise" that offered monthly excursions to the Dominican Republic with vacation packages offering room, liquor, meals and a companion or companions for the week, officials said.
If convicted, he faces up to seven years in state prison."

So thats what happened to El Tibby?

[Jimmydr]

I'm not sure where the real stupidity lies. This guy thinking he could get awsay with doing this from the US, or our laws and LE's interest in this.

I guess the answer is.......BOTH.

You read about this monthly so anyone going into this from the States is "Stupid"

[Beads]

Maybe this will stop some of those stupid ads with people trying to make money doing something anyone can do for free.

[Vincent Vega]

I know you guys get pissed at me when I say this, but, you must be careful what you say here too.

[JD426]

I dont understand how one can be convicted of a "crime" which occurs on FOREIGN soil , esp when its not even a crime in THAT country ?
what if someone were to organize a Tour of the BROTHELS of VEGAS , is that breaking a NJ law punisheable up to 7 Years in NJ state Prison ??. Seems to me LE is really pushing the boundaries here.
if anything, this proves it is not about "improving the quality of life" by removing prostitution from our neighborhoods, which is what LE is always claiming, its about the $$, once again.

[Vincent Vega]

Hey JD, that is exactly what the laws says. It says any American who travels to a foreign county and commits an act that is illegal in the USA, even if it is legal in the country in which it is committed, they can be prosecuted here. It is listed in your passport.

Now, I know this. The guy that was arrested was not arrested solely because of what he posted on Crieg's List. He would have to commit "an act in furtherance of" to make it a crime. That tells me there was a investigation conducted in which an undercover agent exchanged money with this guy for a trip. Whether it was done in person or via payment over the internet doesn't make a difference.

[LM]

here's the ad.......

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/d...980028844.html

also I think there was also a thread on the ad already...

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/for...d.php?t=157729

[curiousdude]

wmarks35 is right. A pretty good site, with info on US laws, and laws of individual states, with apparently pretty comprehensive and up-to-date information, is here: http://prostitution.procon.org/viewr...resourceID=119

Most people probably know about the Mann Act, 18 USC 2421, which is what brought NY's former gov down last year (even though I don't think he was every prosecuted) but the relevant law here is probably 18 USC 1952 (you can see more at the above site):

_____________________________________________________________
Interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises

TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 95--RACKETEERING
Sec. 1952. Interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises
(a) Whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses the mail or any facility in interstate or foreign commerce, with intent to--

(1) distribute the proceeds of any unlawful activity; or
(2) commit any crime of violence to further any unlawful activity; or
(3) otherwise promote, manage, establish, carry on, or facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, or carrying on, of any unlawful activity, and thereafter performs or attempts to perform--

(A) an act described in paragraph (1) or (3) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both; or
(B) an act described in paragraph (2) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

(b) As used in this section (i) ``unlawful activity'' means (1) any business enterprise involving gambling, liquor on which the Federal excise tax has not been paid, narcotics or controlled substances (as defined in section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act), or prostitution offenses in violation of the laws of the State in which they are committed or of the United States, (2) extortion, bribery, or arson in violation of the laws of the State in which committed or of the United States, or (3) any act which is indictable under subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code, or under section 1956 or 1957 of this title and (ii) the term ``State'' includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(c) Investigations of violations under this section involving liquor shall be conducted under the supervision of the Attorney General

[Gladiator]

I guess LE can't dedicate their limited resources to tackling more important criminal activities than this...

What a waste of tax payers' money!

[Cuba Libre]

I dont understand how one can be convicted of a "crime" which occurs on FOREIGN soil , esp when its not even a crime in THAT country ?
what if someone were to organize a Tour of the BROTHELS of VEGAS , is that breaking a NJ law punisheable up to 7 Years in NJ state Prison ??. Seems to me LE is really pushing the boundaries here.
if anything, this proves it is not about "improving the quality of life" by removing prostitution from our neighborhoods, which is what LE is always claiming, its about the $$, once again.

What he was doing is illegal in the DR. While Prostitution is legal in the DR, Pimping (or profiting from Prostitution) in NOT legal in the DR.

[curiousdude]

What he was doing is illegal in the DR. While Prostitution is legal in the DR, Pimping (or profiting from Prostitution) in NOT legal in the DR.

And while pimps in the DR can get away with that by paying bribes to the right people there (as long as they stay in the DR and operate only there), pimps who operate in the US and work through interstate commerce, through the internet, are asking for trouble.

[Jimmydr]

And while pimps in the DR can get away with that by paying bribes to the right people there (as long as they stay in the DR and operate only there), pimps who operate in the US and work through interstate commerce, through the internet, are asking for trouble.

Everyone in DR (Nortcoast) is a pimp. Their mothers, sisters, brothers and the list goes on.

[TropicBob]

You read about this monthly so anyone going into this from the States is "Stupid"

I was almost stupid two weeks ago, started thinking of TropicBob's Tours from Tampa. Damn! Glad I got drunk that day and passed out in a haze.....

[TropicBob]

wmarks35 is right. A pretty good site, with info on US laws, and laws of individual states, with apparently pretty comprehensive and up-to-date information, is here: http://prostitution.procon.org/viewr...resourceID=119

Most people probably know about the Mann Act, 18 USC 2421, which is what brought NY's former gov down last year (even though I don't think he was every prosecuted) but the relevant law here is probably 18 USC 1952 (you can see more at the above site):

_____________________________________________________________
Interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises

TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 95--RACKETEERING
Sec. 1952. Interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises
(a) Whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses the mail or any facility in interstate or foreign commerce, with intent to--

(1) distribute the proceeds of any unlawful activity; or
(2) commit any crime of violence to further any unlawful activity; or
(3) otherwise promote, manage, establish, carry on, or facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, or carrying on, of any unlawful activity, and thereafter performs or attempts to perform--

(A) an act described in paragraph (1) or (3) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both; or
(B) an act described in paragraph (2) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

(b) As used in this section (i) ``unlawful activity'' means (1) any business enterprise involving gambling, liquor on which the Federal excise tax has not been paid, narcotics or controlled substances (as defined in section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act), or prostitution offenses in violation of the laws of the State in which they are committed or of the United States, (2) extortion, bribery, or arson in violation of the laws of the State in which committed or of the United States, or (3) any act which is indictable under subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code, or under section 1956 or 1957 of this title and (ii) the term ``State'' includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(c) Investigations of violations under this section involving liquor shall be conducted under the supervision of the Attorney General

Maybe LE is now going after the reverse of human trafficking....monger trafficking instead! :-)

[greydread]

Rule:

If you happen upon a good thing it is inevitable that the more people you tell about it the quicker it will get fucked up.

The object of LE's attention in this story was pinched for being greedy and not having a sufficient plan to mask his greed with value.

Fuck him.

[Summit]

One thing is a Pimp, an other is The Pimp......

Cause i'm the Wolf Man and i'm The Pimp.....and i won't go to jail for it HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA

But true pimping is against the law here......But it's not often prosecuted , you got to do some real dumb ass stuff to go to jail here for it.

[Summit]

PS that guy got in real trouble cause the conspiracy started in the US ( The ad ) and the transaction took place there ( money exchanged hands ).
So even if the sex took place in the moon , the actual crime ( pimping ) took place in the USA.