Owner of adult bookstores in Texas allegedly ran prostitution and money laundering ring, police sources say
A year-long investigation into prostitution led to raids at the home and adult bookstores allegedly owned by one man, according to Dallas police sources.
Department of Justice agents along with Dallas Police officers raided multiple locations on Feb. 13 related to the Paris Adult Book Store as well as a home in Plano.
'It's a big deal if the IRS is involved. They might shut it down for good.'
The identify of the owner has not yet been released.
A day prior to the raids, the City of Dallas shut down Pandora's Men's Club Dallas over accusations of promotion of prostitution and narcotics sales by workers. WFAA-TV said it was unclear if that action was related to the raids.
Sources told WFAA that the owner faced prostitution, trafficking, and money laundering charges.
Plano Police officers as well as Internal Revenue Service agents were also involved in the raids.
"You name it, they over there!" remarked Roy King, a resident who witnessed the raids and spoke to WFAA. "I ain't never seen nothing like this in my whole entire life!"
Other business owners in the area said the street is known as "the Blade," but while they told WFAA that lots of "ugly" activity happened there, they did not want to speak publicly about it.
Dallas Councilwoman Gay Donnell Willis said she was "happy to see this effort to combat illegal activity in a high crime corridor" in a post on social media.
The Dallas Police Dept. released a brief statement with few details.
"The activity is part of an ongoing, multi-agency effort focused on public safety and the disruption of criminal activity within the community. Due to the nature of the investigation, no additional details are available currently," the DPD said.
Bianca Davis, the CEO of a nonprofit that helps trafficked girls and women, said the networks are getting more sophisticated every day.
"We can come up with 400 signs of what to look for, and someone will show up with the 401st sign. It is just ever-changing," she said.
She expects that an investigation will lead to cellphone and computer communications that can uncover the extent of the criminal network.
"It's a big deal if the IRS is involved. They might shut it down for good," said local business owner Eddie Radoncic to KXAS-TV.
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