NEW YORK — A woman accused of booking clients for a high-priced call girl ring pleaded guilty Wednesday in the federal probe that brought down "Client No. 9," former Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Temeka Rachelle Lewis, 32, entered the pleas to federal charges of promoting prostitution and money laundering. She's among four defendants in the case involving the Emperor's Club VIP.
The FBI secretly recorded conversations between Lewis and Spitzer about a Feb. 13 tryst with a prostitute named "Kristen" in Washington, according to court papers.
Spitzer announced his resignation March 12. He has not been charged.
Lewis, who lives in Brooklyn, faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced Aug. 10 but her term could be much lower under federal sentencing guidelines.
The other defendants in the case are Mark Brener, 62, of Cliffside Park, N.J., who is accused of running the ring; Tanya Hollander, 36, of Rhinebeck, N.Y.; and Cecil Suwal, 23, who lives with Brener.
The investigation into the high-end ring apparently began last year as a routine financial probe by the Internal Revenue Service. The investigation was referred to the U.S. attorney's office last fall.
Investigators say the ring made more than $1 million. A three-diamond prostitute cost $1,000 per hour; a seven-diamond prostitute could fetch $3,100 and the highest paid, $5,500 an hour, authorities said.
The bookers arranged meetings between clients and more than 50 prostitutes in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Miami, London and Paris, prosecutors said.
Conversations were recorded about "Client 9," including one saying Kristen should take a train from New York to Washington for a tryst the night before Valentine's Day, according to an affidavit. Spitzer, who is married, allegedly paid $4,300 for her services.
Investigators called Spitzer a repeat customer who spent tens of thousands of dollars on trysts with prostitutes. The scion of a Manhattan real estate developer, Spitzer reported $1.9 million in income to the IRS in 2006.
Spitzer, who was New York's attorney general before he became governor, built a reputation on Wall Street as a crusader against shady practices and overly generous compensation.
Spitzer and his wife, Silda, have three teenage daughters.