Prostitution Ring Tied to Fraternity

This is a very disheartening article that I ran across today. This is not the image the founders had in mind. On college campuses, Greek members are looked at as role models and leaders. Greek members have to be aware of what they are doing at all times.

According to The Toledo Blade, During the four-day Alpha Phi Alpha convention, prosecutors said, North Toledoan Kevin Murphy provided several prostitutes through an escort service he ran under the names "Janelle's Sophisticated Ladies" and "Erotic Angels."

Among those prostitutes: a barely 16-year-old Toledo girl.

She and the adult prostitutes would "dance and strip" for convention-goers, Assistant U.S.

Attorney David Bauer told federal Judge David Katz yesterday. "Mr. Murphy … made members of this fraternity aware that women were available for other services - in other words, prostitution services," Mr. Bauer said.

Investigators said a fraternity contact would offer Murphy information about conventions, and Murphy would transport his prostitutes. Mr. Bauer did not name the fraternity contact, but he did say it did not appear to be a high-level decision to bring in prostitutes.

Murphy offered prostitutes at several fraternity conventions last year, including meetings in Peoria, Ill., and Dearborn, Mich., Mr. Bauer said.

Investigators learned of the arrangement during their "Innocence Lost" investigations, a national initiative to stop the underage sex trade. Investigators made several prostitution-related arrests last July 25 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel during the national Alpha Phi Alpha convention, Mr. Bauer said in court. According to news reports at the time, more than 5,000 people attended, including Congressional representatives, actor Lou Gossett, Jr., and Grammy Award-winner Lionel Richie.

William Lyle, director of communications for the fraternity's national office, told The Blade he was not aware of the arrests last year in Washington and does not know Murphy.

Joe Conley, who works in the University of Toledo's legal affairs department and is president of the UT's Alpha Phi Alpha alumni chapter, also said he did not know Murphy or of the arrests. "This is the first I've heard of it, and it's really troubling," Mr. Conley said.

A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.