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Michael Lacey, a founder of the defunct classified site Backpage.com, received a five-year prison sentence on Wednesday and was fined $3 million.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-owners-notorious-prostitution-website-backpagecom-sentenced
Lacey was found guilty of money laundering last year in a sweeping case that alleged Backpage executives promoted and profited from prostitution.
He still faces about 30 related charges, according to the Associated Press.
The case is one of many that Backpage has faced regarding sexual exploitation over the last decade, having shuttered its “Adult Services” ads section in 2017 in response to pressure from lawmakers and critics
https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/10/14223770/backpage-closes-goverment-pressure
Two other Backpage executives — former chief financial officer John Brunst and executive vice president Scott Spear — received 10-year prison sentences on Wednesday after being convicted of money laundering and prostitution facilitation last year.