Summary: A coffee shop owner pleaded guilty to money laundering and promoting prostitution from her stands but won’t serve any jail time.
A confessed coffee stand madam won’t serve any more jail time as part of her sentence, KOMO News reported. The Everett, Washington, woman admitted to running brothels from several drive-through coffee stands in the area but has cooperated in the investigation, saving her from being required to serve a year in jail.
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Carmela Panico helped investigators with the prosecution of other criminal cases, one of which was for a former Snohomish County Sheriff Sergeant. Prosecutors suggested she be spared from additional jail for promoting prostitution and money laundering. “One of the girls compared her to a pimp and that sounds accurate, but to her credit, after she was arrested, she approached our office immediately,” Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Bob Hendrix said. “Her cooperation helped secure a felony conviction for Sergeant Darrell O’Neill.”
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Undercover cameras for local news station KOMO in 2012 showed baristas uncovering their breasts and flashing their genitals for extra tips. Panico, a former exotic dancer, made more than $2 million from the coffee shops between 2010 and 2013. The baristas made thousands exhibiting sex shows for customers. She surrendered $250,000 cash and the coffee stands to the city after being caught and pleading guilty in 2014.
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Panico now lives in Eastern Washington, working as a waitress and volunteering at an animal shelter. The judge in the case gave her two days in jail with credit for time already served plus a year probation.
Source: http://komonews.com/news/local/confessed-coffee-stand-madam-avoids-jail-time-in-sentencing
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