Disbelief was the reaction by many LGBT media outlets that reported the news of popular escort website RentBoy.com being seized by Homeland Security Investigations.

In an official release from the United States Department of Justice, HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Sorge stated, “The facilitation and promotion of prostitution offenses across state lines and international borders is a federal crime made even more egregious when it’s blatantly advertised by a global criminal enterprise,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Sorge of HSI New York. “HSI will use its unique authorities to disrupt and dismantle such organizations and seize the millions of dollars in illegal proceeds they generate.”

Paperwork, computer servers, emails and bank accounts were seized by Homeland Security and members of NYPD for the ongoing investigation which after time, has now been made public.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.

Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Smith and Melanie Hendry are in charge of the prosecution. There is more than meets the eye in a case like this. This isn't primarily about the individual sex workers and prostitution, this is about a global criminal enterprise. There is much more going on behind the scenes than being revealed. This is a network of criminals in an organization responsible for multiple and varied crimes.

Between 2010 and 2015, Rentboy.com had over $10 million in gross proceeds.

Earlier today the government served warrants authorizing the seizure of over $1.4 million of alleged criminal proceeds from six bank accounts. The government also took steps to restrain the domain name www.rentboy.com.
If convicted each defendant faces up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

So far only 7 arrests have been made including CEO Jeffrey Hurant (50), Michael Sean Belman (47), Clint Calero (48), Edward Lorenz Estanol (23), Shane Lukas (41), Diana Milagros Mattos (43), and Marcos Soto Decker (28).
All those initially arrested are from the state of New York.

Homeland Security will continue with their investigation with their newly acquired data, hopefully leading investigators to more key players in the global criminal enterprise.