Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008
Brothel ringleader pleads guilty
by Timmy Gelles | Staff Writer
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Laurel resident Elizabeth Harrison pleaded guilty last week to running a brothel out of an apartment in Laurel.
On Aug. 28, following her plea of accepting money from prostitutes, , Harrison, 36, was ordered to pay $1,000, and sentenced at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to three years supervised probation.
Harrison was also charged with engaging in prostitution, engaging in assignation and collecting money from prostitute's with the intent to promote the act, Those charges were dropped because of her plea.
Harrison was arrested in February after Anne Arundel County Police received numerous complaints from other tenants of the Russet Green Community that a number of men and women were entering the premises at 3400 block Holly Creek Drive throughout the day and night for several months, a county police press release said.
Sgt. John Gilmer, a spokesman with the Anne Arundel County Police Department, said this instance of resident feedback to stop the problem is "definitely a positive."
"The Anne Arundel County Police department strives to have a good working relationship with the community that we serve," he said.
According to the press release, undercover police conducted hours of surveillance on the residence over the next month. They then identified several women and through investigation discovered three were advertising sexual services via a few Web sites.
Undercover detectives scheduled an appointment with one of the prostitutes for Feb. 28, 2008. A search and seizure warrant was issued, and Harrison was arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution.
E-mail Timmy Gelles at tgelles@gazette.net.