Deborah L. Turbiville (born August 19, 1975;[2] dubbed the Memorial Madam[1][3] by the news media) operated the Vivian's Friends brothel and escort agency in Houston, Texas under the pseudonym Vivian. On March 10, 2009, after an investigation that began in October 2007, Deborah was arrested and charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution[4] and money laundering.[2] Turbiville is a native of Belize and was raised in England.[1] She has a master's degree in psychology.[1]
Deborah L. Turbiville | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 19, 1975 |
| Nationality | Belizean |
| Citizenship | United States[1] |
| Occupation | Madam |
Prostitution ring
editFor four[1] to seven[5] years, Turbiville operated what may have been the largest prostitution ring in Houston. Turbiville had dozens of employees, including 30 prostitutes,[2] and 700[2] to 1500[4] male and female[6] clients. According to Houston attorney Terry Yates, "If there's a trial or some contested issue those names are likely to become public."[6] According to Harris County Assistant District Attorney Donna Hawkins, the clients may be questioned and charged.[7] Her operation catered to "high rollers" and "big players" and screened prospective clients[4] with P411, a prostitution screening service to detect law enforcement.[2] Her clientele included doctors, lawyers, professional athletes,[4] and television personalities.[5] Clients paid up to $350[8] per hour, $250 of which prostitutes kept.[6]
The ring operated out of the 9900 Memorial Apartments, a 706 unit luxury apartment complex,[9] and out of Uptown District–area hotels.[4] Turbiville operated under the cover of Turbiville LLC, a supposed international investment company,[10] Logic Moving Solutions LLC, Wazala.com LLC, and Alquima Properties.[2]
Houston Police Department Sergeant Mark Kilty labeled her "the Heidi Fleiss of Houston" and said that "[s]he probably had the biggest escort service in Houston."[4] According to a prostitute who formerly worked for her, Turbiville operated "the largest prostitution escort service operating in the city of Houston."[5]
Arrest
editHPD arrested Turbiville on March 10, 2009.[4] They seized two safes containing "a substantial amount" of cash, gold, and silver, a Lexus sedan, a Chevrolet SUV, a pistol, and several computers.[4] HPD is currently performing computer forensics on them to build a list of clients.[4] Police seized business records, condoms, and lubricants from the apartment.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Allegations about brothel shocked those who knew couple". chron.com. March 21, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Jeff Bair (March 17, 2009). "Read the arrest warrant in Houston prostitution case". chron.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ "Clients' names in alleged brothel case may stay secret". chron.com. March 19, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Sophisticated prostitution ring said to be like those in NYC, D.C." chron.com. March 16, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Texas prostitution ring catered to the rich, police say". CNN. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Police: Call girl ring catered to 'suit-and-tie businessmen' | CRIME | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas". Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
- ^ "Details of Prostitution Ring Leave Houston Speculating". The New York Times. March 19, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ "Cops bust upscale prostitution ring". CNN. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ "The Finger Companies". fingercompanies.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ "Houston couple charged in prostitution case | AP Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle". Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
External links
edit- Search and arrest warrant Archived January 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- LinkedIn profile
- Vivian's Blog (offline)
- Houston Girlfriend (offline)
- Vivian's Friends Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (offline)