Ex-Manhattan financier charged with sex trafficking, accused of luring dozens to New York and abusing them in a penthouse dungeon
Brooklyn prosecutors say Howard Rubin recruited dozens of women to New York between 2009 and 2019; a penthouse near Central Park is alleged to have housed a sex dungeon.
Prosecutors in Brooklyn on Friday charged former Manhattan money manager Howard Rubin with sex trafficking, alleging he lured dozens of women to New York between 2009 and 2019 for sexual encounters and subjected some to BDSM abuse, including electric shocks, in a private penthouse dungeon.
The Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office said Rubin coordinated the scheme through text messages with his assistant, Jennifer Powers, who is also charged with sex trafficking.
A restaurant employee who spoke to The New York Post described Rubin as a regular at a Midtown restaurant near Central Park, visiting at least weekly and always with a large group of blond women. The employee said Rubin appeared to pay for their cosmetic work and that the women formed a revolving door.
Prosecutors say the alleged meetings took place near a Central Park-area penthouse with an 18,000-dollar-per-month rent, where Rubin allegedly restrained, beat and shocked women as part of BDSM sessions described in court filings. The indictment says the operation included luring victims to New York under false pretenses and with promises of money, modeling work, or other opportunities.
Jennifer Powers, Rubin's assistant, is charged with sex trafficking in connection with the scheme. Prosecutors say both Rubin and Powers face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Rubin has pleaded not guilty.
Emma Hopper, a former Playboy model from Atlanta, has a separate federal civil case against Rubin that was first filed in 2017 and remains active in Brooklyn federal court. The plaintiff describes a pattern of coercion and coercive control in the same time frame.
A source on the restaurant staff described Rubin as a difficult customer with high bills, noting a supervisor who sometimes helped secure the women.
Rubin's attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The civil claims, ongoing since 2017, are separate from the criminal case and pursue damages for victims who allege abuse and trafficking.
The case is part of a broader pattern of allegations against Rubin that prosecutors say stretches across years and involves victims who were recruited from outside New York as well as within the city.
Rubin and Powers are scheduled for further court proceedings, and prosecutors have emphasized that the charges are allegations that will be resolved in court.
