Newtown Woman Pleads Guilty to Promoting Prostitution, Money Laundering

By Andrew Gorosko

A Newtown woman pleaded guilty in US District Court in Bridgeport on July 22 to promoting prostitution and to money laundering in connection with her ownership and operation of brothels masquerading as health spas in Danbury, Bridgeport, and Waterbury.

Patricia Gougelmann, 66, also known as Patricia McNally, a former Courtland Manor, N.Y., woman who now lives in Newtown, pleaded guilty to use of an interstate facility to promote prostitution and also to money laundering in court before US District Judge Janet C. Hall, according to US Attorney for Connecticut Kevin J. O’Connor.

Gougelmann recently lived in a home on Taunton Hill Road, and formerly lived in a home on Palestine Road.

The “interstate facility” named in the criminal charge were telephone lines, which were used to process credit card transactions for the prostitution business.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, at which time Gougelmann faces a maximum prison term of 20 years and a maximum fine of $500,000, according to Mr O’Connor.

The case, which was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigation unit, is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney James J. Finnerty.

At various times between January 1995 and December 2004, Gougelmann was the owner and operator of Anthemion Enterprises, according to court documents.

Anthemion Enterprises did business as Matrix Enterprises, also known as Genesis, located at 23 North Street in Danbury. Anthemion also did business as Alpha Enterprises, also known as Dolce Vita, located at 2926 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport. Anthemion also did business as Cleopatra’s Spa at 1480 Meriden Road in Waterbury, according to Mr O’Connor.

“These corporations were registered with the State of Connecticut and identified themselves as health clubs. Although Cleopatra’s Spa, Genesis, and Dolce Vita advertised and promoted themselves to be health clubs offering personal services, including whirlpools and tanning, Gougelmann … admitted that they were, in fact, houses of prostitution in which women performed sexual acts for customers in exchange for money,” according to Mr O’Connor.

Between January 1998 and March 2004, the three facilities received approximately $1,129,000 in gross receipts from credit card charges, according to Mr O’Connor.

“For nearly a decade, these houses of prostitution took in a substantial amount of money and damaged the quality of life in the neighborhoods where they were located. The federal government is committed to shutting down these businesses and prosecuting those responsible for their operation,” Mr O’Connor said in a statement.

According to court documents, the three brothels accepted credit cards including VISA, MasterCard, and American Express, as payment for prostitution. Such payments included a “house fee” based on the length of time that a client spent with an employee, plus a “tip” that equaled or exceeded the house fee.

The credit card charges originating at the three brothels were processed outside of Connecticut and then forwarded to the Fleet Bank branch office in Newtown, according to the court papers. The three brothels maintained business accounts at Fleet Bank from which business operating expenses were paid.

According to the court documents, in January 2002, Dolce Vita received its last credit card payment. Also, in May 2004, Genesis and Cleopatra’s Spa terminated their respective merchant credit card accounts and then declined to accept credit card payments from clients as payment for prostitution.