Plea in escort service case involving Spitzer

The operator of a high-priced escort service that counted a former New York governor among its clients pleaded guilty Thursday after a criminal probe put the company out of business and Eliot Spitzer out of office.

Mark Brener, 62, of Cliffside Park, N.J., became the third of four defendants to plead guilty in a case that crushed the image of a governor who gained power and prestige as a tough-talking prosecutor and champion of women's rights.

Brener pleaded guilty to conspiracy as part of a plea deal that, according to his lawyer, doesn't require him to cooperate. Brener agreed Thursday to serve up to nearly three years in prison.

Spitzer resigned March 12, leaving his reputation in tatters, after it was revealed he was "Client 9" in a court document that listed the exploits of customers of Brener's Emperors Club VIP.

Spitzer has not been charged, though an investigation continues that could still lead to charges stemming from his Feb. 13 rendezvous with a prostitute who was paid $4,300. Law enforcement monitored the pair's meeting, listened in on Spitzer's telephone calls and analyzed his bank records.

Brener's lawyer, Murray Richman, said that he did not believe Brener knew Spitzer was a customer.

Brener's plea came a week after his former girlfriend, 23-year-old Cecil Suwal, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. A month ago, Temeka Lewis, a booking agent for the escort service, pleaded guilty to similar charges.

The remaining defendant, Tanya Hollander, has been negotiating a possible plea bargain, according to her attorney, Michael C. Farkas. She also was accused of being a booking agent.

Brener, a widower and former financial consultant from Israel who has lived in the U.S. for 20 years, operated the agency, which charged clients up to $5,500 an hour for the services of its women in the United States and Europe, authorities said.

Prosecutors said Brener recruited prospective prostitutes, decided how to market them to clients and resolved any problems that arose.

During the hearing, Brener acknowledged that between December 2004 and March 2006 he and others operated a business that involved prostitution. He said they used cell phones and e-mail to manage the operation and sometimes arranged for women to travel from state to state to engage in prostitution.

"I knew that my involvement with this business was wrong and illegal," he told the judge.

The most highly ranked prostitutes could charge fees of $5,500 an hour, authorities said.