Arrest and Charges
A Southlake woman was arrested Friday and charged with trafficking women to her New York boss’s “sex dungeon.”
Jennifer Powers, 45, is the personal assistant to retired New York-based financier Howard Rubin, 70, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
An indictment against the pair alleges that Powers helped procure women for Rubin and arranged for them to travel to New York City to engage in sexual acts with Rubin, where they would often be assaulted, injured and required to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Rubin was arrested at his home in Fairfield, Conn., while Powers was arrested at her home in Southlake, Texas. Powers is set to appear in court in Texas on Monday, and will be arraigned in New York at a later date, officials said.
Crime in The News
Details of the Indictment
According to the indictment, Powers found women and offered to pay them for engaging in sexual acts with Rubin, spending at least $1 million of Rubin’s money over 10 years maintaining the “trafficking network.” The commercial sex acts took place at luxury hotels in Manhattan before being moved to Rubin’s luxury penthouse apartment near Central Park.
The indictment said Powers helped turn one of the bedrooms at the penthouse into a “sex dungeon” that was soundproofed and locked and held equipment to restrain women and “shock or electrocute” them.
The indictment alleges Powers and Rubin would recruit women through social media, who were often former Playboy models, and misrepresented the nature of the sexual encounters. During the sexual encounters, Rubin often engaged in “physical and sexual violence” with the women, often injuring them, and performed actions that were against their consent and ignored requests to stop.
The indictment said some of the women fell unconscious during the encounters.
Additional Allegations
In addition to finding the women, Powers is also accused of transporting the women from the airport to Rubin’s penthouse and using Rubin’s money to pay them after the encounter, paying them thousands of dollars each time.
The women were also required to sign non-disclosure agreements, according to the indictment. Often, the women were only presented with the NDAs after they had become intoxicated, the indictment said.
Prior Lawsuits
The two were also sued in 2017 over the same alleged conduct, court records show. Court records show the case went to trial in 2022; the claims against Powers were dismissed, while Rubin was ordered to pay about $3.8 million to six women who had sued him, as well as cover their attorney fees and costs, which amounted to about $4.8 million.
Charges and Penalties
Both Powers and Rubin are charged with sex trafficking and transporting women in interstate commerce to engage in commercial sex acts. The sex trafficking charges carry a potential penalty of 15 years to life in prison, while the transportation charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.
In addition to sex trafficking charges, Rubin was also charged with bank fraud for allegedly making misrepresentations to a bank in the course of financing Powers’ mortgage for her home in Texas. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison on that charge.
Rubin and Powers did not have attorneys listed as of Saturday.
Conclusion
The arrest and charges against Jennifer Powers and Howard Rubin are a disturbing reminder of the prevalence of sex trafficking and exploitation in our society. The allegations against them are serious and highlight the need for continued efforts to combat human trafficking and protect victims.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the charges against Jennifer Powers and Howard Rubin?
A: Both Powers and Rubin are charged with sex trafficking and transporting women in interstate commerce to engage in commercial sex acts. Rubin is also charged with bank fraud.
Q: What are the potential penalties for the charges?
A: The sex trafficking charges carry a potential penalty of 15 years to life in prison, while the transportation charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Q: What is the nature of the allegations against Powers and Rubin?
A: The allegations against Powers and Rubin include recruiting women through social media, misrepresenting the nature of the sexual encounters, and engaging in physical and sexual violence against the women.
Q: Were there any prior lawsuits against Powers and Rubin?
A: Yes, the two were sued in 2017 over the same alleged conduct, and the case went to trial in 2022. The claims against Powers were dismissed, while Rubin was ordered to pay about $3.8 million to six women who had sued him.
