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New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pleads not guilty to charges of solicitation

Posted at 1:27 PM, Feb 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-28 14:26:09-05

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, has entered a plea of not guilty to two counts of soliciting prostitution in Florida, court records show.

Attorneys for Kraft, 77, electronically filed the plea Monday in Palm Beach County Court. It seeks a nonjury trial.

Authorities have announced his alleged involvement in a monthslong investigation into sex trafficking. It focused on central Florida day spas and massage parlors suspected of being used for prostitution.

The billionaire was among 25 people charged, prosecutors said. He allegedly solicited prostitution at a spa hours before the Patriots played the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on January 20.

The charge is a first-degree misdemeanor. If there's a conviction, it's punishable by up to a year in jail, a $5,000 fine and 100 hours of community service.

Read the plea here:

Read the affidavit here (warning: explicit content):