DENVER—Police and federal agents seized phone numbers, business cards and other records in an investigation of an escort service they describe as catering to wealthy clients across the state.
One former escort told police she charged up to $350 an hour, earned as much as $300,000 over the past two years and “performed hundreds, if not thousands, of acts of prostitution,” according to arrest warrant affidavits.
Police officers and Internal Revenue Service agents seized records, cash, computers, a cell phone and film from a half-dozen Denver-area locations including banks and businesses, the affidavits said.
No arrests had been reported.
The records were seized Jan. 25 but the warrants had been under seal until this week. The investigation was first reported this week by KUSA-TV in Denver.
The affidavits identified 27 people who allegedly worked as escorts for the service. Officials have not identified any of the alleged clients.
The service was known as Denver Players or Denver Sugar. The affidavits claimed the owner had more than $500,000 in local bank accounts but had not reported all of it on tax forms.
Police said they began investigating the operation in September 2005, using an undercover informant to pose as a prostitute and having undercover officers periodically visit her to maintain her appearance, the affidavits said.
The officers paid the informant but did not engage in sex, the affidavits said.
