I think I have been clear in past writings that I am not a fan of sites that post reviews of escorts or escort services. As long as I was in business, I jumped through hoops to prevent posting of reviews anywhere. The main reason for this is that I considered what transpired between an escort and a client to be private. The secondary reasoning is that it is a fallible system anyway, which was obvious in the Big Doggie case, the situation with TER – The Erotic Review – and now is clear in the Southwest Companions case.
I suppose that I feel the same about reviews of books, movies, and any other products also. Too many reviewers have an agenda in one direction or another.
In a way, I do not want to write this blog post about the Southwest Companions case. Why? Perhaps those involved need it out of the news so that they can worry about a defense and the rest of their lives. One thing I must say to anyone charged in the case:
You know you're not guilty as charged. At this point you may feel that it is so incorrect that it will go away, a judge will dismiss it, or prosecutors will have a change of heart and drop it. I am sorry, but this will not happen. I met this woman – a good friend of a good friend – within a week of my arrest. We had never met before and it was really a chance introduction. I was visiting my good friend again, about six weeks after arrest, and the woman (a neighbor of hers) dropped by again. When she saw me she was shocked, like fall to the floor shocked.
The woman stated that I had aged 10 years since we met five weeks earlier. It was not stated in any sort of rude way, but as a fact. In a little over a month, the case aged me 10 years. She really freaked out on it. I have never been into drugs or indulged in alcohol often – drinking was something I did once a year, on the average. I looked young for my age at the time of arrest. By the time the case was over, I looked old for my age.
Now that you begin to comprehend the lasting effects on me, let's gut the Albuquerque PD's case:
I want to use an article posted online a few hours ago in this exercise. The article is in the New Mexico Daily Lobo HERE. Having never lived in New Mexico, I have no idea if this is a rag or a serious mainstream syndicated newspaper as the Orlando Sentinel is in Orlando and the Miami Herald is in Miami. I do note that the article quotes the Albuquerque Chief of Police Raymond Schultz and Lt. William Roseman, the detective in charge of the case, throughout.
1. On June 23rd, Schultz stated: “You have an organization that is actively conducting counterintelligence operations,” he said. “This could have been very dangerous to any of the detectives working on this case. This investigation could expand to include human trafficking.”
My response: Bullshit. Don't pretend that some prostitutes and a couple of professors could be dangerous to your overzealous detectives because the statement is absurd. I also cannot view the Southwest Companions site participants as any sort of organization and would bet that these people didn't even know each other outside of their online world on the website. It was a virtual world, and little more. Human trafficking? Please say that was a joke. If you charge anyone in this case with any such charge it would be evidence that you know nothing at all about actual human trafficking and shouldn't be the Chief of Police at all.
2. Quote: “A tip from an anonymous informant sparked an investigation into Garcia’s alleged ties with the prostitution ring.”
My response: Well, you have set this up so that it's unlikely that any defense attorney will ever be able to question the party that allegedly started this entire fiasco. Do you always believe everything that an anonymous idiot states? Do you not bother to question the agenda of the party in initiating such an investigation? You couldn't have a clue of the agenda, because as you state, this party is anonymous, not a confidential informant – two different animals. Do you always embark on such a mission with every anonymous tip? How can Albuquerque afford you if you do?
3. Quote: “Roseman said fees for engaging in sexual acts with prostitutes ranged from less than $200 to as much as $10,000. “These are not your typical street prostitutes,” he said. “It was not a cheap organization.”
My Response: Proof that these prostitutes were 100% independent and not a part of any organizational effort at all. They decided who they saw, what they did, and what they charged. What you've really got here is a handful of misdemeanor prostitution cases, if your warrants to access the database were valid to begin with.
4. Quote: “Through their investigation, APD detectives found that discussion boards exclusive to high-ranking members included guides on how to identify and avoid law enforcement, prevent STDs and rate prostitutes using a starring system.”
My Response: I don't think anyone needs the Southwest Companions site for such guides – they are all over the internet. Will you arrest anyone that publishes a guide that you do not like? Will you arrest anyone with a star rating system? Will you track down who clicked on what? Better get to work. I discuss avoiding law enforcement occasionally, though not for the reasons that you imply here, but because most cops I have ever encountered in this country are overzealous jerks that would make up anything (testilie as opposed to testify). When I say that a person should avoid a traffic stop and drive within every possible law to do so, it isn't because I think they're concealing anything illegal in their vehicles.
5. Quote: “Flory set up a code of acronyms that referred to various sexual acts. Site members used the acronyms when soliciting sex online, according to Flory’s arrest warrant.”
My Response: Almost all adult websites that allow escorts to post ads have the same code of acronyms. I have never been a fan of the acronyms though – say “GFE” to me and I'll always hang-up. At any rate, Flory may have been the one to publish the code of acronyms, but trust me – he sure as hell didn't create any of them.
6. Quote: “In December 2010, Virginia Herringer was arrested on charges of promoting prostitution, possession of drugs and child abuse. Through her arrest, detectives said they learned the full extent of the Southwest Companions operation.”
My Response: I do thank the New Mexico Daily Lobo for clearing that up. Every news story that I came across online stated that it was Cara Garrett, but I didn't buy it as she was arrested for bothering the real informant and it made no sense whatsoever. So, some sleazy witch that is on drugs, has her own “prostitution” business, and abuses her children gave these detectives the real and true story? Get the hell out of here or I'll sell ya some property out in the Everglades. The entire statement is ridiculous.
7. Quote: “Roseman said the prostitution ring is unlike anything APD has ever seen. “We’ve seen similar things, but not organized in this manner,” he said. “This is typically like what we would see in a drug operation. We haven’t seen anything like this, at least not here in Albuquerque.””
My Response: How did this guy make lead detective? Any website that publishes adult ads and any forum that allows escorts to promote their own business operates about the same. This is not an organized effort and it is simply a publisher that publishes a forum online and individual participants exercising their right to free speech. I sure have never seen any drug operation that works like anything described herein. This is looking more like a First Amendment case by the minute.
To conclude here, this is only one article in one online newspaper. I have no way of accessing the warrant for arrest affidavit and gutting that, or I certainly would. If you're reading this and near the Bernalillo County Clerk's Office, please mail me a copy of the arrest affidavit and I'll interpret it and post the results. Contact me for a mailing address. Beyond that, each defendant needs to spend some time gutting their own arrest warrant affidavit - I think you'll feel much better by the time you've finished that exercise; mine was 120+ pages of pure crap and I felt much better when finished.
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