The NFL has found itself in many predicaments over the years. The handling of domestic violence, Colin Kaepernick and other socially aware players, and many other issues have given the country’s sporting pinnacle more than its fair share of issues.
Robert Kraft, one of the most powerful men in the league and owner of the New England Patriots, found himself adding to the ever-growing hill the NFL places in front of itself.
#BREAKING – @Patriots owner Robert Kraft arrested in Jupiter in a sex sting operation, along with many others.
This story developing….— CBS4 Miami (@CBSMiami) February 22, 2019
What We Know
Authorities in Jupiter, Fla., announced that they had charged Kraft with first-degree misdemeanors for paying for sexual services at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa. It was reported that Kraft had in fact visited the spa on two separate occasions in January, including a visit on Jan. 20, hours before the Patriots were set to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship.
Shortly after it was announced 25 others were charged in the sting operation, with Adam Schefter claiming Kraft was “not the biggest name involved”. However, in terms of what has been provided and the name that is Kraft, no others on the list have come to trump the NFL owner.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter on the Florida prostitution sting: "There are people down there in that area I’m told who say this story is going to heat up and get a lot worse…I’m also told that Robert Kraft is not the biggest name involved down there"pic.twitter.com/BZTRkabUYi
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 22, 2019
Human Trafficking
The investigation goes further than the explicit action, as it delves into the world of human sex trafficking. Police say the massage parlor has ties to a human-trafficking ring and there is an affiliation with five other properties in Florida. For Kraft, this specific incident may find him in the clear (sort of) from further persecution.
According to the New York Post, “it appears Kraft was caught on camera getting services from two women who are not victims of human trafficking: the 45-year-old manager of the spa, Lei Wang, and 58-year-old spa employee Shen Mingbi, also believed to be an operator of the business — both licensed masseuses and Florida residents.”
What we also know is there is visual evidence of Kraft soliciting sex. The 77-year-old billionaire has since pled not-guilty, which comes to no surprise, but he could face some kind of discipline.
It is yet unknown of Kraft’s knowledge and involvement with the human-trafficking, but it would be remiss to believe it will not be part of the investigation.
The New England Patriots
Kraft doesn’t just add to the struggles the NFL has faced for years, he connected yet another scandal to his team. Spygate, Deflategate, so on and so forth. These examples have become easy to joke about and a recurring theme from ever-so-clever Facebook users. Memes galore for what many believe is the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen.
Save Your Laughter
Deflating balls and Tom Brady memes seem to never go out of style for many. However, one must differentiate between an NFL infraction and an issue on a global scale.
Before going further, the Super Bowl is not a hotbed for human-trafficking, nor is there evidence proving so. As a quick example, Harris County arrest records showed no arrests for human-trafficking when the Super Bowl was held in Houston, Texas on February 5th, 2017. Although Super Bowl’s 50 and 52 showed different results, with both locations being Santa Clara, Ca. and Minneapolis, Min., operations that led to major busts were not directly in line with the sporting events. Hence, there is no true correlation between human-trafficking and the Super Bowl.
Dispelling this myth does not make the issue any less than what it is.
This should not be content for laughter.
Instead, it should focus on awareness on the real issue and how the NFL has run into it. What will likely follow is the league’s dumping of resources towards awareness on the issues. It’s essentially a public relations band-aid with the benefit of spreading knowledge.
Repercussions
For what is known at this moment, Kraft could face a maximum of two years in prison if convicted. If he were to get one of the charges dropped, he would likely avoid any jail time altogether. Again, the question becomes his involvement with human-trafficking and what his knowledge is.
Under Florida law, human-trafficking could result in a few penalties. Fines up to $10,000, up to 30 years of probation, and up to 30 years of prison time.
The current standards the NFL has are relatively loose in terms of policing owners. Only two owners have been punished by the NFL, both being former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo and current Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. Both received suspensions and fines. If Kraft’s involvement ends at soliciting sex, he’ll likely meet the same fate as the two other owners mentioned above.
What happens if more comes out and he is found to be complicit of human-trafficking? It’s simple. Strip his ownership.
Will that happen? Likely not. But what we will see is the NFL be put in a position where they must act accordingly. Judgement will be saved as due process is held, giving the public and leagues perspective to marinate.
Based off what we know Kraft will get a slap on the wrist. $1 million fine (worth $6.6 billion, according to Forbes) and a suspension, if I were a betting man.
Robert Kraft will continue to own this team for years to come.
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