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Sunday, November 24, 2013

Zumba instructor behind Maine prostitution ring gets out of jail early


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See her leave the jail

(CNN) -- The Zumba instructor in Maine who ran a prostitution ring out of her fitness studio Saturday was released from jail early for good behavior and participating in a work program, according to a York County Jail spokesman.
Alexis Wright, 29, walked out of the Maine jail at 8 a.m. Saturday after serving nearly six months of a ten-month term for a prostitution case that last year rocked the sleepy New England town of Kennebunk.
Her client list, including accountants, lawyers and even a local TV personality, became the talk of the picturesque Maine town.
The State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating the prostitution ring in 2011 after receiving a tip that there was more going on at the studio than a Latin dance fitness party. In February 2012, Wright's Zumba studio was raided.
Court documents showed that Wright videotaped intimate encounters with some of her customers in three locations -- including her store-front Zumba exercise studio -- and would send the footage to her business partner, Mark Strong.
According to Strong's sentencing memo, Wright would not engage in a prostitution session unless Strong had "prior knowledge of the session and was actively watching via the Skype connection."
More than 13,000 Skype video call snapshots were recovered from Strong's computer, according to the memo.
Strong was found guilty of promotion of prostitution and conspiracy to promote prostitution in March. He was sentenced to 20 days in jail, court documents said.
In addition to jail time, Wright was ordered to pay $57,000 in restitution and $1,000 in fines. Prosecutors dropped more than 80 other counts and reduced more serious tax-related charges from felonies to misdemeanors, according to the sentencing documents.
CNN's calls to Wright and her attorney were not returned.

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