Owner Of Online Prostitution Ring Pleads Guilty

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- The owner of an online prostitution ring has pleaded guilty to racketeering after he admitted he took in $1.8 million by employing more than 50 prostitutes who worked throughout metropolitan Washington.

Otasowie Asuen, 26, of Washington entered the guilty plea Wednesday to a racketeering offense and conspiracy to launder money in federal court in Alexandria. He is the fifth person to plead guilty in the investigation.

Since 2009, Asuen ran online escort services under the names Prime DC and DMV INDYS. He used the Craigslist and Backpage websites to recruit potential prostitutes from all over the U.S. and Canada.

Asuen admitted that he generated $1.8 million in gross revenue. The prostitutes kept 60 percent of the money they received, and Asuen kept 40 percent.

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