BOCA RATON, Fla. – The owner of a Boca Raton spa is accused of operating a brothel at her business.
Maria De La Fuente Caro, 36, was arrested Wednesday on charges of deriving support from proceeds of prostitution, maintaining a place of prostitution and money laundering.
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Boca Raton police said they began investigating the Boca Spa, 22 SE Sixth St., in December after several anonymous residents said De La Fuente Caro "was directing her employees to engage in various forms of sexual activity with customers in exchange for money."
According to the police report, detectives interviewed several spa customers who said they paid money to have sex or other sexual relations with employees. In one interview conducted in April, the customer told police that he paid $180, but on his second visit he was asked if he was willing to pay $280 for "additional sexual activity."
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Boca Raton police detectives searched the spa's trash in February and found mail correspondence from MFV Investments LLC, 10 used condoms wrapped in paper towels, two bottles of lubricant, a customer's Visa credit card receipt for $190 and 11 envelopes with employees' names, dollar amounts and dates written on the outside.
Detectives said they also found a Backpage.com advertisement for the Boca Spa in January. According to the police report, the spa was advertised as the "newest erotic spa in Boca, with 23 gorgeous girls (to) pleasure you with just a touch."
The lead investigator began reading online reviews of the Boca Spa. All of the posts indicated that customers paid $80 to enter the spa and then negotiated a price, paying between $60 and $200 depending upon the sexual act provided, the report said.
Police said officers conducted surveillance at the spa, which opened last summer, on June 8 and 9. "Officers recorded every customer who entered the business" during this time, the report said. Police noted that "only males" entered the spa.
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A total of 14 clients entered the spa during the two-day period, and De La Fuente Caro greeted two of them, the report said. She took a credit card payment from one of them and a cash payment from the other, the report said.
Police said the customers were then led into a room where the sex took place.
"Five different female employees were observed receiving cash or credit card payment from a male customer in return for a sexual act," the report said.
Two employees, Jessica Greenwell, 37, and Dalila Aouadhi, 34, were also arrested this week. They face prostitution charges.
The report said De La Fuente Caro "was observed handling cash which had been received either by female employees or herself."
A subpoena of bank records from MFV Investments LLC revealed three accounts, all of which listed De La Fuente Caro acted as the sole signer.
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