Woman in Spitzer prostitution case pleads guilty

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A booking agent for a prostitution ring whose clients included former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer pleaded guilty on Monday to a conspiracy charge relating to prostitution.

Tanya Hollander, 36, was one of four people charged with running the Emperors Club VIP, a high-priced prostitution ring broken up this year. She pleaded guilty to a charge of violating the Travel Act, which bans crossing state lines to carry out illegal business such as prostitution.

The other three charged have all pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

During the hearing held in Manhattan federal court, Hollander admitted after she began working for the Emperors Club in June 2007, "it became apparent that those individuals and clients were engaging in prostitution offenses."

Her lawyer, Michael Farkas, told reporters outside court it was possible Hollander had booked Spitzer, who resigned as governor in March after it emerged he was a client of the Emperors Club.

"Ms. Hollander was a minor player in this enterprise," Farkas told reporters outside the hearing. "It was unfortunate the former governor was involved."

Spitzer, who in his other former role as state attorney general championed anti-prostitution legislation and cracked down on financial crimes, has not been charged in the case and prosecutors refuse to say whether he will face charges.

Farkas said his client was not asked to cooperate with prosecutors in any possible criminal case against Spitzer. If Spitzer is not charged, he said, he will ask the judge at her sentencing to consider she was treated more harshly than other possible co-conspirators such as Spitzer.

Hollander, a holistic health counselor, faces a likely six to 10 months in prison under the sentencing guidelines outlined in her plea agreement. She will be sentenced November 25.

Local media identified the Spitzer call girl as Ashley "Kristen" Dupre, who traveled to a Washington, D.C., hotel to meet Spitzer. She has not been charged in the case but could be a witness.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney; Editing by Michelle Nichols and Bill Trott)