‘Vice ring boss’ refused bail

Published on 10/04/2012 11:52

AN Edinburgh woman charged with running a multi-million pound prostitution ring has been refused bail in New York.

Anna Gristina, originally from Kirkliston, was unable to post the $1m or $2 billion insurance bond needed to secure her release.

The 44-year-old was sent back to Rikers Island prison after her lawyer failed in an attempt to have the sums reduced in a Manhattan court.

She is charged with one count of promoting prostitution, to which she pleaded not guilty during a previous hearing.

She is also alleged to have set up a high-end call-girl service operating out of an apartment in New York’s Upper East Side. Gristina is said to have amassed a fortune of $15m after arranging for clients to meet prostitutes for up to $1500 a time.

At previous bail hearings, prosecutors argued that the cash, combined with a contacts book containing the names of rich and powerful clients, made Gristina a flight risk.