Palm Springs- Five people accused of spearheading a large, multi-state prostitution ring based in Palm Springs were scheduled to head to court this morning for arraignment and a preliminary hearing in the case.
Two of the five, Boaz Benmoshe, 44, and his wife, Melanie Ann Smith, 24, have already entered not guilty pleas, while the three others, Ofer Lupovitz, 43, Eliran Vintrov, 28, and Moti Vintrov, 33, all of the Coachella Valley will be arraigned today.
The case was scheduled to go before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Thomas Douglass at 8:30 a.m. in the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to court records.
The five are accused of multiple felonies including pimping, pandering, tax evasion, money laundering and loan fraud.
Investigators said the group used an escort service as a front for a money-for-sex business that attracted clients from across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon.
According to court documents, the escort service, Elite Escorts or Elite Entertainment was headquartered along Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs.
They said It operated as many as 80 phone lines, offering clients the services of as 240 women.
Authorties contend Benmoshe, Lupovitz, and the Vintrovs led the massive organization.
And, as part of their investigation, officials seized more than a dozen computers, along with real estate and luxury cars belong to the defendants.
Smith, as well as several others, is accused of benefitting from the illegal enterprise and failing to properly report all of the income to tax authorities.
So far, 11 people have been charged in this incident.
Defense attorneys have declined to comment.
During last month’s hearing, prosecutors turned over 5,000 pages of evidence in the case — about a third of the documents collected during the investigation — to defense attorneys.