Omaha Woman Pleads Guilty to Prostitution and Money Laundering Conspiracy

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Tammy L. Schuck pled guilty today to three counts of a Superseding Indictment:  conspiracy to promote a prostitution enterprise and to induce interstate travel to engage in prostitution; inducing or attempting to induce interstate travel to engage in prostitution; and a conspiracy to launder money.  She also admitted a forfeiture allegation. 

The counts to which Ms. Schuck pled guilty carry the following penalties:  a maximum of 5 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine for the conspiracy to promote a prostitution enterprise and to induce interstate travel for prostitution; a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine for inducing interstate travel to engage in prostitution; and a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and $500,000 fine for conspiracy to launder money. 

Starting in approximately April 2008, and continuing to in or about January 2012, Ms. Schuck operated three “spas” in Omaha, Nebraska.  Each of the spas was, in fact, a front for prostitution.  The majority of customers received sex acts from workers, rather than legitimate spa services, in exchange for money.  Ms. Schuck and other workers had “sessions” with customers during which they provided sex acts in exchange for money.  Some customers traveled to the spas from Iowa and from other states to obtain sex acts for money.   Customers paid a “door fee” depending on the length of the session and negotiated a separate “tip” with the workers for the sex act. 

Ms. Schuck and others acting at her direction deposited cash generated by the operation of the spas into Defendant’s business and personal bank accounts.  Ms. Schuck also arranged for credit card revenues from operation of the spas to be deposited into both accounts.   

Ms. Schuck placed advertisements for the spas on the internet.  Ms. Schuck also helped create a website for the spas accessible over the internet, and periodically updated the website.  Established customers could access a “Members Only” section of the website to read about the female workers providing services and view provocative pictures of them.

During the time when Ms. Schuck owned and managed the spas, there were an overall total of more than twenty workers providing commercial sex acts. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service, under the auspices of the Child Exploitation Task Force, which also includes the Council Bluffs Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the La Vista Police Department, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol.