A nationally known pimp who appeared in a documentary about pimping pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to laundering the proceeds of his prostitution business and identity theft by buying two Las Vegas properties, co-known Prosecutor Daniel G. Bogden announced. Nevada area.
LOUIS KENNETH WRIGHT, aka Kenny Red, aka Tyler Montana, 42, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones. Either way, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. He is scheduled for sentencing by Justice Jones on January 9, 2006, at 2.30pm. He has been in custody since his arrest on 8 April 2005.
In his guilty plea today, Wright admitted he was a nationally known pimp who worked for numerous prostitutes and appeared in several documentaries about pimps, including the 1999 documentary American Pimp. Wright admitted that he opened a bank account with Citibank in Rialto, Calif., in 2003 and 2004, using the name Tyler Montana and a woman’s Social Security number and deposited a total of about $95,000 in cash. Bail was posted in Illinois, New York and California, all places where prostitutes worked for Wright.
WRIGHT admitted that in March 2003 and June 2004 he purchased properties in Las Vegas, 9936 Gray Sea Eagle and 10024 Garamound, for approximately $236,000 and $388,000 in the name of Tyler Montana, respectively. Wright paid the down payment on the property using a check to a Citibank account in Tyler Montana. Wright knew that the properties were purchased with the proceeds of illicit activities, commercial activities involving prostitution crimes and money laundering, and that these transactions were designed to disguise and disguise the nature and origin of the funds.
Wright also admitted that he used the California woman’s alias Tyler Montana and a Social Security number to get mortgages on two properties and two credit cards.
Investigators determined that the defendant had never filed a federal income tax return and, at the time the criminal indictment was substituted (approximately March 2002 to June 2004), he had no legitimate employment or source of income. Blackjack bail records show that Wright also paid jail bail for numerous prostitutes during this period.
On April 8, 2005, investigators executed search warrants at 10024 Garamound; 8321 Western Sahara, No. 1058; and 9824 Concord Downs, all Las Vegas residences, associated with the defendants. Agents found a number of pimp-related items, including a motorcycle helmet depicting a skull dressed as a pimp, belt buckles, trophies and other prizes awarded to “Kenny Reid.”
The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and FBI agents, as well as detectives from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy J. Koppe.
