Two women are scheduled to plead guilty this week to charges that they helped operate a $4 million prostitution ring based in the D.C. area.
Court records show that plea hearings are scheduled for Tuesday for 30-year-old Alafaka Opuiyo and 30-year-old Kiana McKelvin. The two, along with four others, were indicted in January in federal court in Alexandria for allegedly committing money laundering and violence to run a prostitution business disguised as an escort service.
The business, called Classy DC Escorts, had operated since June 2009 in the District, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and New York, according to the indictment.
Opuiyo, of Burtonsville, faces money laundering and racketeering-related charges. McKelvin, of Arlington, is charged with conspiracy to travel to aid a racketeering enterprise. Court filings don’t say what charges they are expected to plead to.
Opuiyo managed Classy’s day-to-day operations, according to court documents. She answered phones, booked appointments for prostitutes, screened clients to make sure they weren’t law enforcement officers, banned clients who failed to pay and directed the collection of money, the documents say.
She also allegedly helped operate Classy’s website and make travel arrangements.
McKelvin, too, is accused of answering phones, scheduling appointments, screening clients and collecting money.
The indictment says the two would “verify” clients by having the men send messages from a work email account to prove they weren’t cops. They also sent instructions to prostitutes about the locations of hotels, then contacted clients and directed them where to go.
Attorneys for the women couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.
Prosecutors allege that members of the prostitution ring made $4 million running the service.
Also charged are Kuraye Akuiyibo, of Miami; Otasowie Asuen, of D.C.; Nassim Tabatabai, of New York City; and Jennifer Churchill, of Irvine, Calif. Their cases appear to be proceeding toward trial, according to court records.
Akuiyibo, the alleged leader, is accused of repeatedly using violence to run the business. The indictment says he threatened a former prostitute at gunpoint in Bethesda and assaulted someone who picked up prostitutes at airports and train stations.
The ring also allegedly used fictitious companies to conceal profits.
