Man in prostitution probe sentenced to prison

DETROIT (AP) -- A Florida man charged in Detroit with running an international prostitution ring was sentenced last Thursday to 14 months in prison, a significant break from what prosecutors had recommended. U.S. District Court Judge Arthur Tarnow said there was no evidence that Greg Carr was a "woman beater or a man beater or any kind of beater," although he noted that prostitution sometimes has the potential for violence. Carr, 44, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy. Prosecutors say his business, Miami Companions, arranged high-priced trysts in many large U.S. cities, Mexico, Colombia and Costa Rica. Charges were filed in Detroit because it apparently was a major market for him. The ring had call centers in Panama and Costa Rica, and at least $850,000 was transferred overseas from the U.S., according to the government. Carr's business got 40 percent of money paid to the women. The evidence included a computer disc showing more than 30,000 names, many of them customers and their preferences. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Blackwell asked for 27 months in prison. "The fact that you're a self-proclaimed nice pimp ... does not detract from the seriousness of the charge," Blackwell said in court. "The fact is quite simple: His corporation, his business model, was set up to literally make money off the sweat off women's backs." With a 14-month sentence, Carr, who lives in the Orlando area, likely could spend less than a year behind bars with time shaved for good behavior. Carr said he's a changed man. He was known as Paul Cutlass when he ran Miami Companions. "I had two identifies. That person died," Carr told the judge. "I know what I did was wrong." Others have pleaded guilty, including Carr's ex-wife. Tarnow, a judge for 13 years, said he had never handled a prostitution case in federal court. Published: Mon, May 16, 2011

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