EVERETT, Wash. — The former owner of five Snohomish County coffee stands who pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution at the businesses won't be spending any time in jail.
The Daily Herald reports a judge granted Carmela Panico, who had faced up to a year in jail, a first-time offender waiver Monday.
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Prosecutors say baristas at the coffee stands engaged in sex shows and prostitution to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in tips.
The 53-year-old woman pleaded guilty in 2014 to promoting prostitution and money laundering.
The judge was told that prosecutors decided not to seek jail time for Panico because she helped make the case against Darrell O'Neill. The former sheriff's sergeant has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and official misconduct for his role in the case.
KIRO
