Charges Dropped Against Six Rentboy Employees

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—In a deal that was apparently worked out last Friday, two days after Rentboy.com founder Jeffrey Hurant had his first day in court, but docketed today, federal prosecutors have decided not to prosecute the six Rentboy employees who were arrested during the raid on the company's headquarters by federal marshals and agents from the Department of Homeland Security. Hurant has been charged with three felonies, promotion of prostitution, money laundering conspiracy and simple money laundering, to all of which Hurant pleaded not guilty at the hearing. The goverment is also seeking to forfeit roughly $1.5 million in cash that was also seized during the raid. The Rentboy workers who are now off the hook are Michael Sean Belman (aka Sean Van Sant), Clint Calero, Edward Lorenz Estanol (aka Eli Lewis), Shane Lukas (aka Hawk Kinkaid), Diana Milagros Mattos (aka Coco Lopez), and Marco Soto Decker. The abandonment of charges against the six bodes poorly for Hurant, since it is likely that one or more of the employees has agreed to testify against Hurant at trial. However, it has been reported that Hurant is in settlement discussions with federal prosecutors, which may mean that the case will never come before a jury.