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By Aiden Pink February 22, 2019

This is a developing story

Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and a major Jewish philanthropist, was charged Friday with two counts of soliciting prostitution as part of a prostitution ring bust in south Florida.

Kraft, 77, was one of 25 people charged in the sting, which prosecutors say involved human trafficking of people from China. Local police had set up hidden cameras inside the Orchids of Asia spa in Jupiter, where police say they captured videos of Kraft on two occasions roughly a month ago.

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An arrest warrant has been issued for Kraft because he is not a Florida resident.

Kraft, a billionaire who has steered the Patriots to six Super Bowls, has long been a major benefactor of Jewish and Israeli charitable causes. In January, he was awarded the $1 million Genesis Prize, which honors contributions to Israel and the Jewish people. The awards ceremony is schedule for later this year. A spokesperson for the Genesis Prize did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kraft also gave $1 million to the inauguration committee of his longtime friend President Trump, who he says called Kraft regularly to check in on him after the death of his wife Myra in 2011.

Police shut down ten spas in Florida as a result of the six-month-long sting, the local news website TCPalm reported. The spas allegedly lured women to the parlors with the promise of legitimate work before ensnaring them in prostitution and intimidating or otherwise preventing them from leaving. Officials say local agencies have issued warrants for 173 people in connection to the affair.

Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink

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