27°
Kevin Smoot, age 59, of Springfield, pleaded guilty on Monday, April 12, to one count of conspiracy to use a facility to promote prostitution and seven counts of use of a facility of interstate commerce to promote prostitution offenses, according to Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Nathaniel R. Mendell.
On Friday, June 26, 2020, Smoot was arrested and charged by complaint. He was indicted in July 2020.
According to a criminal complaint, between February 2019 and June 2020, Smoot conspired with others to promote commercial sex involving several women.
Smoot promoted prostitution by transporting women to and from commercial sex appointments, recruiting and encouraging women to engage in commercial sex acts for money, and helping to procure illegal drugs for use by drug-addicted women engaged in commercial sex, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
He also promoted prostitution by providing a residential location for commercial sex acts between female victims of sex trafficking and male customers, taking actions to collect money from male customers, and benefiting from the proceeds of commercial sex acts performed by female victims of sex trafficking, they added.
Smooth faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
He is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Springfield and receive free news updates.
