Add another blemish to the New England Patriots dynastic legacy. This one, however, is far more egregious than deflating footballs or videotaping opposing practices.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution on Friday by police in Jupiter, FL. The 77-year-old was one of nearly 200 subjects charged following a six-month investigation that included a number of busts on massage parlors that were used for prostitution and human trafficking.
Per police reports, Kraft allegedly visited Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter — just 20 miles away from his ocean-front getaway in Palm Beach — twice between Jan. 18 and Jan. 22 and solicited prostitution from female workers used by Chinese traffickers. He was caught on video performing sex acts on both occasions.
Kraft, who has denied any wrongdoing, is expected to be charged by prosecutors sometime this week and a low-level warrant for his arrest could come as soon as Monday.
Upon the issue of the warrant, Kraft will be ordered a summons in the mail to turn himself in. However, he WBZ-TV’s Cheryl Fiandaca reported that Kraft will not be arrested and his lawyer will appear for him at his initial court date.
He could face a maximum sentence of 120 days in county prison if convicted.
The NFL has released a statement taking note of the latest developments regarding Kraft and will continue to monitor the situation.
It hasn’t stopped Kraft from living his extravagant lifestyle as he was seen by TMZ at Barry Diller’s pre-Oscar party on Saturday in Beverly Hills.
The Massachusetts native, who had been a Patriots season-ticket holder since 1971, is responsible for leading the franchise to heights never before seen in the NFL.
A franchise that had just 16 winning seasons in 35 seasons prior to Kraft taking over the team in 1994, the Patriots have won six Super Bowls in the past 18 years behind head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The nearly-two-decade run of overwhelming success is unparalleled in the NFL.
Along the way, the billionaire Kraft had built a reputation of being a philanthropist who championed against the sexual exploitation of immigrants from Asia by donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to numerous causes and charities.
While these charges will certainly cast a mark upon his legacy, Kraft’s status as Patriots owner isn’t necessarily in jeopardy.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert revealed that Kraft “almost certainly” would not be forced to sell the Patriots if found guilty. However, he will face discipline from the NFL.
Former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson — who allegedly engaged in sexual harassment and inappropriate contact with at least four female team employees — was not forced to sell the team by the league. However, he did sell the team for $2.2 billion to David Tepper in May of 2018.
Donald Sterling was the latest North American professional sports owner that was forced to sell the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers in 2014 after he was caught on tape making racist remarks.
Given these unprecedented accusations upon an NFL owner, it is uncertain what kind of punishment Kraft would receive from the league.
Seifert cited Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay’s six-game suspension and $500,000 fine in 2014 after he was arrested on drug charges, which could provide a framework for Kraft’s punishment.
