Alexis Wright, the Maine Zumba teacher whose prostitution ring made national headlines when it was broken up by police, has received 10 months in jail.
According to The Associated Press, Wright, 30, told the judge that she was relieved to close this chapter of her life and she already realized that she wanted out of that like when police raided her offices in February 2012.
“In my eyes I'm free. I free from this,” Wright told Justice Nancy Mills. “And I have an incredible amount of strength that I knew was in me somewhere. Now that I have the strength I want to encourage others to come forward. I want them to know that there's at least one person out there who'll believe their story, no matter how crazy it seems.”
Wright’s sentencing was part of a plea deal she reached with prosecutors in March. She agreed to plead guilty to 20 counts, including prostitution, tax evasion and conspiracy.
Wright, a single mother, had over 100 clients at the height of her back-room business kept extensive records over the 18 months. It showed that she earned $150,000 tax-free while she also took in $40,000 in public assistance. The clients included many prominent men in the Kennebunk, Maine community where her Zumba school was, including a former mayor and minister.
“Based on what you have to say and what I know about you from your attorney, I know that you will succeed when you're released and that you will prevail. I wish you success,” Mills told Wright.
Wright ran her business with Mark Strong, an insurance agent, reports NBC News. In March, he was convicted of 12 counts of promotion to commit prostitution and a count of conspiracy. He was sentenced to 20 days in prison and had a pay a $3,000 fine, but only wound up spending five days in prison because of good behavior.
“It's my intention to stand up for what is right. When I'm out, I'm going to pursue helping people fight through situations that are similar to mine,” Wright told the judge today. “I'm optimistic that something good will come out of this.”