Judge orders destruction of tape showing Patriots owner Robert Kraft having oral sex with masseuse after it was deemed inadmissible and misdemeanor charges were dropped

A video recording of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other men allegedly engaging in massage parlor sex will be returned to prosecutors for destruction, a Florida judge ruled Friday, ending a two-year saga that tarnished the reputation of one of football's most successful luminaries.

Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser agreed with prosecutors and Kraft's attorneys that the recording given to him before he ruled it inadmissible at trial was not part of the permanent court file and will be returned for destruction.

Prosecutors dropped misdemeanor solicitation charges last year against Kraft and almost two dozen other men after a state appeals court upheld Hanser's 2019 ruling.  

He determined that the warrant allowing the installation of hidden cameras inside a Jupiter, Florida, massage parlor didn't sufficiently protect the privacy of innocent customers who received legal massages. Prosecutors chose not to challenge the ruling with the state Supreme Court.

Kraft and the others had been charged in February 2019 after an investigation into possible prostitution at the Jupiter massage parlor. 

A video recording of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other men allegedly engaging in massage parlor sex will be returned to prosecutors for destruction, a Florida judge ruled Friday, ending a two-year saga that tarnished the reputation of one of football's most successful luminaries

Police say they recorded Kraft, a widower, paying for sex acts at the spa on consecutive days in January 2019, including the morning of the AFC Championship game that the Patriots won in Kansas City that evening. Two weeks later, they won their sixth Super Bowl championship under his 28-year ownership, more than any team during that period

Although it stemmed from a wider investigation into whether Chinese women were being sex trafficked to Florida, the case ended without any significant convictions and human trafficking was never established. 

Police say they recorded Kraft, a widower, paying for sex acts at the spa on consecutive days in January 2019, including the morning of the AFC Championship game that the Patriots won in Kansas City that evening. Two weeks later, they won their sixth Super Bowl championship under his 28-year ownership, more than any team during that period.

Kraft, 80, had pleaded not guilty and his high-priced attorneys led the fight to get the evidence against him and the other men dismissed. He issued a 2019 public apology for his conduct, saying he had 'hurt and disappointed' his family and Patriots fans. He could still receive punishment from the National Football League. According to Forbes Magazine, Kraft is worth almost $7 billion.

The tapes would likely have already been destroyed, were it not for a federal civil lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of anonymous spa customers who claim they were illegally recorded receiving legal massages at Orchids of Asia. 

In December of 2020, Palm Beach County State Attorney David Aronberg argued that the tapes needed to be preserved with that civil suit in mind. However, Aronberg has described the lawsuit as a 'phony' attempt at pressuring him to toss out charges in the criminal case.  

An appellate court determined that Florida police violated the rights of Robert Kraft and other men when they set up cameras to secretly record inside Orchids of Asia

Furthermore, that civil case appears to be settled. According to the Sun Sentinel, lawyers for one plaintiff who sued Aronberg and Jupiter, Florida police have agreed to end litigation. Terms have not been revealed publicly. 

The Patriots declined comment Friday. The NFL did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

If Kraft had been convicted, he would have likely received a fine, community service and other sanctions that did not include jail time.

The recordings, which have not been made public, were the only known evidence that Kraft and the other men paid for sex at Orchids of Asia Day Spa. When the recordings were barred from trial, prosecutors had no choice but to dismiss the charges.

Of the other men charged, 19 cases were dropped. Three men went through a pretrial diversion program before the ruling, paying more than $5,000 in court costs. One pleaded guilty and paid $323. Another went home to Norway.

The investigation into Orchids of Asia was part of a broader, multi-county probe into possible sex trafficking of women to work in massage parlors. Law enforcement leaders said that while they suspected several women employed by the parlors had been trafficked, none cooperated with prosecutors and no one was charged with trafficking.

Felony charges against Orchids of Asia management were also dropped after the videos were barred.

Hua Zhang, the Jupiter parlor's owner, pleaded guilty last year to misdemeanor charges of soliciting another to commit prostitution and renting space for prostitution. She received a year probation and paid $6,600 in court costs and fines.

Lei Wang, the spa's manager, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of soliciting another to commit prostitution and received a year probation. She paid a $5,000 fine.

Lei Wang , 41, and Shen Mingbi , 60, each pleaded guilty in Palm Beach County circuit court to one count of soliciting another to commit prostitution, records show. They were fined $5,000 each and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service

Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser agreed with prosecutors and Kraft's attorneys that the recording given to him before he ruled it inadmissible at trial was not part of the permanent court file and will be returned for destruction. Prosecutors dropped misdemeanor solicitation charges last year against Kraft and almost two dozen other men after a state appeals court upheld Hanser's 2019 ruling

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could still fine or suspend Kraft from any activities involving the Patriots, although that appears less likely now that the video evidence has been destroyed. 

The NFL's personal conduct policy states that 'ownership and club or league management have traditionally been held to a higher standard and will be subject to more significant discipline. 

Kraft's wife Myra died from cancer in 2011 at age 68. The two were married in 1963 and had four children together

'It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. We are all held to a higher standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful,' it states. 

Although he may not be guilty in the legal sense, Kraft did offer an apology in March of 2019.

'I am truly sorry,' he wrote. 'I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard.

'Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being. I have extraordinary respect for women; my morals and my soul were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as my partner for 50 years.'

Kraft's wife Myra died from cancer in 2011 at age 68. The two were married in 1963 and had four children together.

ROBERT KRAFT'S 2019 APOLOGY 

'In deference to the judicial process, I have remained silent these past several weeks. To correct some of the misinformation surrounding this matter, my attorney made his first public comments on Friday night. I would like to use this opportunity to say something that I have wanted to say for four weeks.

'I am truly sorry. I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard. Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being. I have extraordinary respect for women; my morals and my soul were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as my partner for 50 years.

'As I move forward, I hope to continue to use the platform with which I have been blessed to help others and to try to make a difference. I expect to be judged not by my words, but by my actions. And through these actions, I hope to regain your confidence and respect.'