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Title: Sports Reporter By Day Pimp By Night!!!!! View count: 469 Rating: 5.0 (1 ratings) Description: A veteran New Hampshire Union Leader sportswriter was arrested early yesterday for allegedly masterminding a prostitution ring using Craigslist and other Web sites. Kevin Provencher, 50, was arrested at his 153 Donald St. home by Manchester police, who also executed a search warrant at that location. He has been charged with two felonies in Massachusetts. If convicted, Provencher faces a prison term of five years and a $5,000 fine on each charge. Provencher, at his arraignment in Manchester District Court yesterday morning, waived extradition from New Hampshire. He was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail following afternoon arraignment in Lawrence (Mass.) District Court on two charges of deriving income from prostitution. Essex County Assistant District Attorney Michelle Defeo said, This defendant was the ringleader of this operation. Massachusetts police said about five women worked for Provencher and two of them will be witnesses. Provencher allegedly recruited the women on Craigslist and arranged for them to meet him at a Manchester hotel, wearing specified clothing, where he would audition them. During one of the auditions at the Fairfield Inn, Provencher allegedly provided a woman with black lingerie and photographed her in various poses, according to court documents. The woman allegedly agreed to have sexual intercourse with Provencher who later told her she was hired. Court records show Provencher would recruit johns to meet his prostitutes from various Web sites, including backpage.com, cityvibe.com and theeroticreview.com, where Provencher used the handle NHhotman. Police said he used the Marriott, Spring Hill Suites and Fairfield Inn for the operation until one prostitute complained about the long drive from Quincy to Manchester. Provencher then allegedly moved his operation to Andover, Mass. Andover police, who filed the felony charges, started their investigation in February after employees at the local Spring Hill Suites reported a possible prostitution ring there. The workers said Provencher rented a room with a credit card for several months at least once a week, but sometimes more, telling employees the room was either for his wife or girlfriend to use while he was at work, according to court records. Suspicious employees wrote down the license plate number for Provenchers vehicle before calling police. Police said they set up a sting operation June 11 at the hotel and observed men coming and going from a room. Defeo said law enforcement authorities could clearly hear activities consistent with sexual intercourse. Officers said most men who were intercepted after leaving had agreed to cooperate in the investigation. In court, the judge ordered Provencher to surrender his passport after prosecutors said he may have recently organized a prostitution ring in Canada. In addition, Manchester police are investigating any prostitution activity he may have conducted here. Defeo said authorities confirmed a similar operation in Canada set up by Mr. Provencher and added that border authorities confirmed his passport had been used and his vehicle had been spotted there recently. Provenchers court-appointed defense attorney said he has no criminal record in Massachusetts and a very minor record in New Hampshire. Defeo said in court Provenchers case will likely be handed to a grand jury. The Union Leaders management issued this statement: Mr. Provencher has been a valued employee for many years. He is innocent until proven guilty. However, given the nature and seriousness of the charges, he is suspended until further notice. A graduate of Manchester High School West and the University of New Hampshire, Provencher has worked at the Union Leader for more than 25 years, the last 23 as a full-time sports reporter. He has been the papers beat reporter covering the Manchester Monarchs since the American Hockey League franchises inception in 2001, and has been its primary motor sports reporter since 1990. He has won four New Hampshire Sportswriter of the Year awards from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. His work has been honored on several occasions by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association. Before joining the Union Leader staff full time, he was the director of sports information at St. Anselm College in Goffstown. Tags: new, hampshire, union, leader, sportswriter, kevin, provencher, manchester, police, pimp, sports, Author: marquita188 |
