Detroit— from www.detnews.com – The Miami Companions escort service client list should not be released, but if a judge rules otherwise, a gag order should be used to shield the list from the public, a federal prosecutor said today.
A lawyer representing Miami Companions co-owner Greg Carr pictured] wants an unredacted copy of the alleged sex ring’s black book of customer names for nefarious purposes, not to mount a defense, according to documents filed today in U.S. District Court in Detroit.
“In fact, it is quite conceivable that the sole purpose of this request is not to adequately prepare for trial, but only to intimidate, threaten or harass potential witnesses for the government … and that he is seeking to exploit this matter in the media with such aim,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Blackwell wrote today.
The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office busted the international escort service in July. Co-owners Greg and Laurie Carr and three employees were indicted on various prostitution or money-laundering charges, and prosecutors seized the alleged prostitution ring’s black book.
Prosecutors have accused the couple of running an Internet-based sex empire that dispatched waves of prostitutes to hotels and beachfront villas around the world. The Miami-based ring listed Detroit as one of its busiest U.S. stops.
Metro Detroit clients spent more than $167,000 between March 2007 and January 2009 on Miami Companions prostitutes, according to the feds.
Greg Carr’s defense lawyer Paul DeCailly wants to interview clients to determine their possible testimony and to run criminal background checks on anyone the government might call as witnesses, according to today’s filing.
The client database, stored in a spreadsheet, includes names, phone numbers, occupations, names of escorts with whom they had dates and sexual preferences, including likes/dislikes.
Investigators obtained the client list through a search warrant in July 2010.
DeCailly accused prosecutors of picking and choosing which Metro Detroit clients would be identified as allegedly hiring $500-per-hour prostitutes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office previously had said DeCailly could review — but not copy — names from only the 313 and 734 area codes. The office later backtracked and said he could review alleged client names from the 248 and 586 area codes.