'Millionaire Madam' sentenced to time served, probation

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The final obstacle to Anna Gristina's freedom was removed on Tuesday afternoon.

Bail bondsman Ira Judelson had put on the ankle monitoring bracelet last June after the accused Madam finally raised enough money to get out on bail.

The mother of four from Monroe, north of New York City, had spent four months in jail, charged with a single count of promoting prostitution.

Gristina left court in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday with her attorney after being sentenced to six months in jail, essentially time served. She'll be on probation for 5 years.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office let loose on Gristina in a scathing statement: "There is nothing glamorous about prostitution. Anna Gristina rented women's bodies for profit, which makes her a pimp. That also makes her a felon, and the court has now issued that judgment. She has no one to blame but herself for her decisions."

"I think people need to look deeper," Gristina said, when asked about the district attorney's statement.

"The district attorney's office called my client a pimp?" her attorney, Norman Pattis, asked.

During a several block tirade, Gristina's attorney blasted DA Cyrus Vance, saying he should apologize for making unsubstantiated allegations.

But prosecutors accused the 45-year-old Gristina of having a roster of wealthy, well-placed clients and boasting of law-enforcement connections during 15 years in a business that made her millions. She had said she was merely starting a dating service.

Prosecutors said they had to investigate her claims, but found no evidence to show she was as well connected as she had boasted. ---

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anna gristina, orange county, prostitution, arrest, northern suburbs news, sarah wallace

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