Brenda Stewart, who fronted prostitution ring linked to Michael Hancock, cops a plea

Amid the controversy over a report tying just-elected Denver mayor Michael Hancock to Denver Players, the prostitution ring that brought down Judge Edward Nottingham, much of the attention has focused on previous Players owner and alleged burglary victim Scottie Ewing. But there's news about subsequent Players owner Brenda Stewart, too...

By Michael Roberts

June 8, 2011

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Amid the controversy over a report tying just-elected Denver mayor Michael Hancock to Denver Players, the prostitution ring that brought down Judge Edward Nottingham, much of the attention has focused on previous Players owner and alleged burglary victim Scottie Ewing. But there's news about subsequent Players owner Brenda Stewart, too.

CBS4 reveals that Stewart, an ex-escort who'd been facing dozens of criminal charges related to the operation, will plead guilty to a single count of tax evasion. The station notes that the agreement was reached in April but had not previously been reported.

Ewing had also faced major punishment in the Players investigation. However, he agreed to testify against Stewart in exchange for pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion, too. Earlier this year, he was given six months home detention -- a sentence flexible enough to let him keep working at his current business, Sugar House -- and pay around $77,000 in back taxes. As CBS4 notes, Ewing dismissed his punishment as "a slap on the wrist."

Will Stewart get off as lightly? We won't know for a while. She'll enter her guilty plea on July 6, with sentencing slated for November 7. By then, we should know if the alleged Denver Players link to Hancock will have led to more headlines, or if it will be a distant memory.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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