Fine art of living in pimp style, without paper trail

In a resort city visited by millions of potential johns each year, pimps can haul in thousands of dollars a day. Using that illicit cash to purchase a flashy, high-end ride, or palatial estate, however, is problematic.

In the wake of the deadly shooting Feb. 21 on the Strip involving two suspected pimps, some observers were left wondering how shooting suspect Ammar Harris and Kenny Cherry Jr. respectively found themselves behind the wheels of a Range Rover and Maserati. Cherry died after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. Two innocent bystanders were killed when his Maserati crashed into a taxicab and set off a fiery explosion.

The very different vehicles shared certain similarities. Each lacked a permanent license plate. Both were leased, according to published reports.

That’s likely no coincidence, multiple law enforcement sources say. On the street, pimps commonly attempt to mask their income through a series of subleases held by straw men who often appear to have little or nothing to do with the shadow world of pandering and prostitution.

In Cherry’s case, a former girlfriend and admitted prostitute revealed the technique in an affidavit associated with a child custody case. During the latter stages of her pregnancy, she no longer could work.

“Once I stopped ‘earning,’ he had me handling all of the household chores and bills,” she recalled. “I made sure that the rents on all the apartments were paid on time, along with the car payments, taking care of our dogs, cleaning and everything else.

“We didn’t have verifiable income and so when we leased cars, it was always through another guy who did that sort of thing for people like us. We would make payments to this guy and he would make all of the lease payments.”

Cherry and his girlfriends were occasionally stopped for speeding and other minor traffic violations. An analysis of those citations reveals a pattern: a driver with an out-of-state license but a local address, a vehicle registered in a different state with a lease associated with yet another state. Sometimes an out-of-state plate. Sometimes a temporary.

Such apparent misdirection is well known inside Metro’s pandering unit, where Detective David Mason investigates pimps and their gravity-defying lifestyles. While Mason declined to discuss any aspect of the Strip shooting, he said the subleasing phenomenon is increasingly common among the more successful pimps.

“We see that all the time,” Mason said.

“As they get more money, you’ll see a higher level of sophistication,” he said.

Typically, subleases “involve a third party who isn’t a pimp but has ties to the pandering community.”

The connections can be difficult to spot, he added, noting, “The straw buyers typically have no meaningful connection to the criminal world. They’re ordinary people with ordinary jobs and good credit scores.”

On the street, a flashy car is more than a ride to work. It’s also a status symbol that sends a message to competitors and potential working girls.

“When a pimp rolls up in a Maserati or a Bentley, you name it, it’s definitely a factor,” he said. “He uses it to attract women.”

If the use of subleases and straw buyers sounds like something IRS Criminal Investigation agents would be interested in, you would be right.

“There is a false sense of security among those engaged in illegal activity,” IRS Special Agent in Charge Paul Camacho said. “They think just because they do everything in cash, they are off our radar. We can put a criminal tax case together by simply showing someone lived well beyond their reported means. In doing so, we show the luxury items they enjoy all came from unreported currency.”

If it worked against Capone, it probably will work against a Las Vegas pimp.

Subleasing isn’t new, but it is becoming more sophisticated. Does it involve local business owners and even attorneys?

At Metro, Mason said his unit is focused on following the money and keeping up the pressure on a subculture that generates thousands of crimes each year that are only indirectly linked to prostitution.

Meanwhile, the Strip’s most successful pimps will keep driving those high-end vehicles.

Maybe they will check their rearview mirror more often, but this is how they roll.

John L. Smith’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Email him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. He blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Smith.