The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Accused country-club call girl Lisa Ann Taylor says she's getting by one day at a time since her arrest on prostitution, racketeering and drug charges.
"I'm holding up, with help from Victoria's Secret," she joked.
Police seized her Corvette and her truck when they arrested the Sugarloaf Country Club homeowner and former Penthouse Pet last week. District Attorney Danny Porter placed a lien on her million-dollar mansion, with an eye toward seizing it if she is convicted on racketeering charges.
Taylor said she is getting support from friends, fans and neighbors. The 42-year-old is better known by her stage name, Melissa Wolf. She and another Gwinnett County woman, Nicole A. Probert of Lawrenceville, 30, were arrested Jan. 3. Probert, who used the stage name "Naughty Nikki," also faces prostitution, racketeering and drug charges.
Porter said the two were operating a call-girl service, offering sex with clients for as much as $5,000 to $10,000. The women also are accused of procuring drugs for their clients and friends.
Both Taylor's and Probert's lawyers deny the charges. Taylor's attorney and fellow Sugarloaf resident Max Richardson said the case has drawn undue attention from both the prosecutor and the media.
"She has been placed under a microscope like she killed someone," said Richardson, whose office is based in Norcross. Taylor earns a living as a professional dancer, Richardson said, adding that she wasn't as well compensated as the district attorney claims. "Tell (District Attorney) Danny (Porter) to show me the money. She files income tax returns every year."
County assessors value Taylor's home at over $1 million, but Taylor owes about $600,000 to $700,000 on the mortgage, Richardson said. She has owned it since 1999, according to county assessment records. Police seized about $450 in cash when they served the search warrant, Richardson said.
"It's tough on her, man. It's a tough situation," he said.
Taylor said she started smoking Tuesday night.
"Just for the night," she said.
Taylor said some of her Duluth neighbors have offered signs of support, and that fan mail has been flowing to her home since news broke of the arrest. She still plans to attend church on Sundays, she said. She wouldn't say which church she attends, though. She didn't want to draw the heat of the media's glare to the pews, she said.
"I'm already scared that I'm going to burn the (church) doors down," she said.
The attention also has been tough on Probert, said her Atlanta attorney Steven Sadow. Probert has referred all comments to her attorney.
Sadow said characterizing his client's relationship with Taylor as a business partnership was mistaken. "She's more like an independent contractor," said Sadow. "They occasionally might do a video or show together, or appear together."
Sadow described Probert's business activities, such as appearing in adult videos or dancing in public or for private customers, as an "entirely legal" expression protected by the First Amendment.
Probert, a former commercial real estate agent, began working on-and-off in the adult industry about two years ago, Sadow said.
"She would have been thrilled if she could have received $5,000 to $10,000 for what she was doing," Sadow said. "And she still would be thrilled."
Meanwhile, police and prosecutors have been combing records seized after the arrest, looking for evidence to make further arrests and to bolster their case.
Both women posted bail last Thursday. Porter said he expects to bring the two before a Gwinnett County grand jury sometime within the next 30 to 45 days.
Gwinnett police obtained as many as four new arrest warrants Tuesday evening connected to the prostitution case, Porter said. The warrants are for charges related to drugs and pandering, he said. Police said the charges are misdemeanors.
A police spokesman said officers don't plan to make the arrests until later this week. Porter said he expects two of those arrests to be patrons of Probert and Taylor.
Arrests may end some of the speculation among Taylor's neighbors in the gated Sugarloaf Country Club, home to some of Atlanta's most prominent business people, politicians, celebrities and sports figures.
Porter would not say who the warrants were for but said he did not recognize any of the names. The women's customers have been described by Porter as doctors, lawyers and businessmen.
He said his prosecution of Taylor and Probert isn't meant to simply embarrass people of prominence or wealth.
"It's not like we're going to take a list and nail it to the courthouse door," said Porter.
In addition to warrants on drug and pandering charges issued Tuesday night, the district attorney's office expects to make at least four more arrests of customers later, Porter said. "I would say that the next four more warrants will be for customers," Porter said.
He said he does not expect to make any more arrests after that.
Georgia law defines pandering as soliciting a person to perform an act of prostitution. It could mean offering someone money for sex, or arranging for someone else to exchange sex for money. A conviction carries a penalty of up to $5,000 and up to one year in jail.
Porter said arrests have been slow because the district attorney's office is working only through books with detailed information by Taylor. Porter said Taylor's computer has not yet been searched.
Police spokesman Cpl. Darren Moloney confirmed Wednesday afternoon that three or four warrants had been obtained and that police were seeking more warrants. He said he did not expect them to be served Wednesday. Police hope to arrest all the suspects at the same time, he said.
Moloney said he expects the warrants to be served by the end of the week. The names would not be made public until arrests are made. The warrants remain sealed until that time.
