I must have missed this:
Backpage CEO Pleads Guilty to Charges, Assists in Federal Investigation
Carl Ferrer admits to money laundering and facilitating of prostitution in connection to website linked to sex trafficking
Unsealed court documents revealed Friday that Backpage.com’s Carl Ferrer recently pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and conspiracy to facilitate prostitution.
The guilty plea, which follows the Justice Department’s seizure of the website that has been linked with illegal sex trafficking, also suggests that Ferrer will testify against his fellow Backpage co-founders. Seven employees, including co-founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin, were also arrested last week on federal charges of facilitating prostitution.
In his admission of guilt, the Washington Post reports, Ferrer outlined how the company helped advertisers reword ads to avoid prostitution charges and how Backpage created shell corporations and used crypto-currency to hide revenue from authorities.
“I conspired with other Backpage principals to find ways to knowingly facilitate the state-law prostitution crimes being committed by Backpage’s customers,” Ferrer admitted, adding of the company’s rewording of ads, “Such editing did not, of course, change the essential nature of the illegal service being offered in the ad it was merely intended to create a veneer of deniability for Backpage.”
Excellent. They say nobody likes a snitch.
I do.
Bring me more.