BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Rentboy.com founder Jeffrey Hurant turned himself into authorities yesterday to begin a six-month prison term.
Hurant is now housed at the federal prison in Otisville, N.Y., a medium security correctional institution with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp and a detention center.
There are 683 inmates — all male — at Otisville, which is located in Southern New York state at the intersection of state Route 211 and county Route 11.
Hurant has been assigned inmate No. 86208-053.
Hurant operated the gay hookup site Rentboy.com in the open for about two decades.
But in 2015, the government raided its offices and seized the website.
Hurant subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of promoting prostitution and, on behalf of his business, one count of money laundering.
Federal authorities also have seized about $1.5 million that they claim was laundered money from Hurant's company, Easy Rent Systems Inc. The government, however, did not pursue a seizure of $101,000 from Hurant’s personal bank account.
Hurant’s attorneys contended that he couldn’t be guilty of a prostitution enterprise felony because he had no involvement in brokering or facilitating the activities of advertisers and their clients following their connection through the Rentboy.com site.
But earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Margo K. Brodie agreed with federal prosecutors that Hurant’s offenses were felonies and analogous to the Mann Act.
The Mann Act states, "Whoever knowingly transports any individual in interstate or foreign commerce ... with intent that such individual engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense."
As a result, Brodie sentenced Hurant to six months in federal prison.