The Zumba instructor, Alexis Wright, 29, pleaded not guilt to the 106 counts of prostitution, invasion of privacy, and tax evasion, as did her business partner, Mark Strong Sr., 57, to 59 misdemeanor counts. Meanwhile, the judge rejected a motion the lawyer of two her suspected clients attempted to impose; instead, the 150 names of the clients may be released. Strong’s attorney said he would only release the names of those he’s called as witnesses.
Judging from the hundreds of hours of video tape — of uncertain intended use — Strong and Wright were also recorded having sex, suggesting more than a business relationship. Police estimate an income of up to $150,000 from the prostitution.
The first tip that something was up came in 2010 when an anonymous blog accused Wright of “living a double life and is a porn star. She may be a prostitute for all I know.” The trafficking of men to her office space at all hours of the day and night, with “moaning and groaning” reported by the landlord, raised suspicions, and when he found an online porn video of Wright in the office, there was enough material to go on to justify a police raid of the studio in February.
“I think most of my customers were shocked this was going on,” said Dan Breton, a local convenience store owner. “But any time something like that happens, people get curious. It’s almost like the newspapers are teasing us that there are prominent names on the list. But maybe it’ll be nothing.”