Case against 'Nice Guys' prostitution ring ready for prosecutors

Since word spread last month that Minneapolis police had shut down the high-dollar prostitution ring whose clients called themselves "The Minnesota Nice Guys," nearly all of the 30 alleged clients or their attorneys have contacted police to find out how much trouble they're in or if their involvement could be kept quiet, according to the case's principal investigators.

Some men sobbed to Sgts. Grant Snyder and Matt Wente that they had a compulsion and had tried to stop. On the flip side, several "providers" or prostitutes also contacted investigators, and Snyder said they all repeated the same points: They found the business degrading and shameful, but needed the money. And they, too, had tried to quit.

The yearlong investigation is now wrapped up, and Snyder said they expect to present the case to the Hennepin County attorney's office this week.

The investigation focused on John St. Marie, a former assistant Hennepin County attorney who they allege ran the Nice Guys ring. While the county attorney is expected to consider possible felony charges, it's also possible that a portion of the case could be turned over to the U.S. attorney's office for consideration of federal charges tied to interstate elements of the prostitution.

"With all the Nice Guys we've talked to, we've made it clear we can't predict what might happen to them," Snyder said. "We knew all the men associated with this group, and we told them a month ago to, 'Come in and talk to us before we find you.' "

Because St. Marie worked for Hennepin County, the case most likely will be handled by another county attorney's office. St. Marie, 65, of Minneapolis, isn't under arrest, and his attorney, Jim Dahlquist, said he continues to be concerned this case will be prosecuted more aggressively because of his client's former position. Since he hasn't seen any evidence against St. Marie or a criminal complaint, he declined to comment on the allegations.

"This guy has devoted his life to helping the underdog in society," Dahlquist said. "He himself is the greatest example of not giving up on oneself and achieving in spite of things."

As an attorney who handled civil commitments, St. Marie, who retired in 2003, locked up some of society's most unstable criminals. He received plaques for excellent work.

But three years ago, police said, St. Marie starting recruiting the men who would become the Nice Guys from the Erotic Review, an international website for self-described "hobbyists" looking for high-priced escorts. Police also allege he gained members from MyFastPass.com, which was the Twin Cities' largest locally owned prostitution website. Snyder and Grant said that last month they shut down MyFastPass.com because of their work on the Nice Guys investigation.

Wente said the investigation into MyFastPass.com is wrapping up but could trigger investigations by police in other cities.

Not a typical sex ring

Snyder and Wente, who have worked on sex trafficking cases for the department's Violent Offender Task Force for several years, said the Nice Guys is one of the most unusual prostitution rings they have ever seen in Minnesota. The Nice Guys, business owners, lawyers, accountants and mortgage bankers in their early 40s to mid-60s, communicated via e-mail. Synder said members called themselves Nice Guys because they have clean backgrounds, regard themselves as trustworthy, and didn't mistreat the women.

The investigators said that St. Marie, who uses a wheelchair because of childhood polio, flew escorts in from Florida, put them up at some of Minneapolis' nicest hotels and arranged appointments. Some of the Nice Guys who picked up escorts at the airport or otherwise helped the ring operate could face felony charges, police said. Authorities typically charge ordinary johns with misdemeanor solicitation of a prostitute.

The Nice Guys investigation started from an anonymous e-mail from a john who said St. Marie was marketing illegal immigrants as prostitutes. The john learned about St. Marie's services from the Erotic Review, where people praised him for the quality of women he brought to Minnesota, Snyder said.

Investigators eventually connected with one of St. Marie's escorts and persuaded her to work with police to bust other Nice Guys. None has been arrested.

How the case grew

Wente and Snyder said they built an extensive case against the Nice Guys through, but not limited to, physical and electronic surveillance, undercover operations, and examination of websites, e-mail accounts and databases. They also executed seven search warrants.

Because many of the Nice Guys are members on MyFastPass, Snyder and Wente, before shutting down the website last month, posted a message about their investigations and how they'd identified more than 300 providers and johns who used MyFastPass. Prompted by that message and word of mouth, 25 Nice Guys or their attorneys came forward to police. Investigators also got calls from an additional 25 johns and escorts who use the site.

"About 95 percent of the women told us they were sexually abused at some time in their lives," Wente said. "They don't feel they are in control of their lives."

Snyder said they put the women in touch with social workers. The investigators won't seek charges against the women because they consider them victims. But from comments on message boards such as the Erotic Review, Wente says he can see their investigation has chilled the climate for online prostitution in the Twin Cities.

One thing Snyder wanted to make clear:

"Just because the Nice Guys were business professionals, they absolutely won't receive any special treatment when it comes to considering charges," he said. "It doesn't matter what their name is or where they work."

David Chanen • 612-673-4465