MANHATTAN (CN) - The leader of the Emperors Club VIP prostitution ring, whose services undid Gov. Eliot Spitzer, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy and money laundering. Mark Brener, 62, of Cliffside Park, N.J., faces up to 5 years in prison for prostitution conspiracy and 20 years for money laundering, though the plea agreement recommends a sentence of 24 to 30 months.
Brener ran the ring, in which customers could book dates online, from December 2004 through March this year. Officials seized more than $1 million in cash when they raided his apartment.
Brener will be sentenced on Sept. 16. The plea agreement states that prosecutors will recommend "a 2-level reduction" in his sentence, because he cooperated with them, and agreed to plead guilty.
Brener's "club" became internationally famous when New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was found to have been a customer of "Kristen," who charged $4,000 for her services. The revelations drove Spitzer from office.
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