A pair of pimps used Craigslist to trick two aspiring models to travel to New York, where they were forced to turn tricks at a midtown hotel, police said Thursday.
The pimps - Jason Breska, 38, of Brooklyn and Sabina Rabinovich, 36, of Florida - trolled the popular Internet classified site and fooled the women into thinking they ran a modeling agency, police said.
They promised their victims glamorous modeling careers and health benefits and even paid their travel expenses from Sun Valley, Calif., and Ridgewood, N.J., police said.
When the women met Breska at the La Quinta Hotel on W. 32nd St., they were forced into prostitution, police said.
"[The pimps] threatened them," said Lt. Michael Costello of the NYPD vice major case team.
"They told them, 'We paid for your travel here, and you're going to owe us money,'" Costello said. "They said, '[Unless you cooperate,] we'll discredit your name and we'll notify your family and co-workers.'"
The women - ages 21 and 27 - had posted ads on Craigslist looking for modeling work, and one of them had expressed an interest in doing pornography, Costello said.
Once the women reached New York, Breska, who used the alias "Joey," would not let them leave the hotel. Rabinovich, who went by "Charlie," would then field calls from johns and send them to the women at La Quinta, police said. The duo collected about $2,000 a day but did not share it with the women, who were eventually allowed to return home.
Cops busted the prostitution ring after receiving an anonymous tip, Costello said. Investigators believe that Breska and Rabinovich, childhood friends, pulled similar scams with other women this year.
Breska and Rabinovich were charged with sex trafficking and promoting prostitution.
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