LAS VEGAS - - A nationally-known pimp who has appeared in documentary films about pimping, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to laundering the proceeds of his prostitution business and identity theft crimes through the purchase of two properties in Las Vegas, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

LOUIS KENNETH WRIGHT, aka Kenny Red, aka Tyler Montana, age 42, of Las Vegas,
pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones to two counts of Money Laundering. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine on each count, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Jones on January 9, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. He has been in custody since he was arrested on April 8, 2005.

In pleading guilty today, WRIGHT admitted that he is a nationally known pimp who has had numerous prostitutes work for him and who has appeared in several documentary films about pimping, including the 1999 documentary, “American Pimp.” WRIGHT admitted that he opened a CitiBank bank account using the name Tyler Montana and the social security number of a woman in Rialto, California, and deposited cash into it during 2003 and 2004 totaling approximately $95,000. The deposits were made in Illinois, New York, and California, all places where prostitutes had worked for WRIGHT.

WRIGHT admitted that in March 2003 and June 2004, using the name Tyler Montana, he purchased the properties at 9936 Gray Sea Eagle and 10024 Garamound in Las Vegas for approximately $236,000 and $388,000, respectively. WRIGHT used checks written on the Tyler Montana CitiBank account for the down payments on the properties. WRIGHT knew that the properties were purchased with the proceeds of an unlawful activity, a business enterprise involving prostitution offenses and money laundering, and that the transactions were designed to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the monies.

WRIGHT also admitted that he used the Tyler Montana alias and social security number of the California woman to obtain mortgage loans for both properties and two credit cards.

Investigating agents determined that the defendant had never filed a federal income tax return, and that during the entire time of the Superseding Criminal Indictment (approximately March 2002 through June 2004), he did not have a legitimate job or source of income. Records from Blackjack Bail Bonds indicate that during that period, WRIGHT also paid jail bonds for numerous prostitutes.

On April 8, 2005, investigating agents executed search warrants at 10024 Garamound; 8321 W. Sahara, #1058; and 9824 Concord Downs, all Las Vegas residences connected with the defendant. Agents recovered numerous items related to pimping, including a motorcycle helmet depicting a skeleton dressed as a pimp, belt buckles, trophies and other awards presented to “Kenny Red.”

This case is being investigated by Special Agents with IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI, and Detectives with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy J. Koppe.

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