Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, was alleged to have been involved in a prostitution ring, and has been charged with two counts of soliciting another to commit prostitution.
On Friday, the Jupiter, Florida, Police Department announced that Kraft had been captured on camera allegedly receiving sexual acts. A total of 25 people were set to be charged, all of them allegedly captured on camera. Kraft's alleged involvement was discovered as part of a larger human trafficking investigation.
"We're as equally stunned as everybody else," Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr said.
Kerr said there were also concerns about money laundering, which will be investigated further. The two counts Kraft was charged on stemmed from two separate incidents, which occurred about a month ago, according to Kerr.
Detective Andrew Sharp didn't say how much Kraft had allegedly spent but said the spa where the alleged acts took place had an entrance fee, and its fees started at $59.
Hidden cameras were set up in the spa, Sharp said, and a warrant was issued for the arrests of the men on the list who do not live within the state or the county.
"We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity," a spokesman for the Patriots owner told The Wall Street Journal. "Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."
Kraft purchased the Patriots on January 21, 1994, and become chairman and CEO of the organization. He said his objective was to help bring a championship to New England, and over the years, the organization has owned more than five Super Bowl games. Before becoming a big name in football, Kraft attended Columbia University and then Harvard Business School.
One of the most powerful owners in the NFL, Kraft serves on a number of boards and committees, including the board of trustees of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. In 2011, Kraft's wife, Myra, died after a battle with cancer. At the time, he said his friend, the future president of the United States Donald Trump, was immensely supportive.
"When Myra died, Melania and Donald came up to the funeral in our synagogue, then they came for memorial week to visit with me," Kraft told the New York Daily News. "Then he called me once a week for the whole year, the most depressing year of my life when I was down and out. He called me every week to see how I was doing, invited me to things, tried to lift my spirits."
Kraft said Trump was one of only five or six people that were "like that" during the difficult time.
