Credited from: REUTERS
Howie Rubin, a 70-year-old retired investment banker, was arrested at his Connecticut home on federal charges of sex trafficking involving at least ten women from 2009 to 2019. The indictment alleges that he coerced women to engage in sex acts, often involving violence and manipulation, at luxury hotels and a Manhattan apartment converted into a BDSM dungeon, according to ABC News, India Times, and Reuters.
The federal indictment reveals that Rubin's operations involved providing women with a "safe word" that he routinely disregarded, allowing him to continue abusive practices even when asked to stop. The sex "dungeon" was specifically equipped with restraints and electric shock devices, reflecting a high level of premeditated manipulation and control over his victims, according to ABC News and India Times.
Rubin and his assistant, Jennifer Powers, allegedly leveraged his financial status to mislead women into sexual encounters, with military-like precision in their communications about the operations. The pair reportedly spent over $1 million to run this trafficking network, indicating the scale and severity of their actions, according to Reuters.
This high-profile case has shocked many in the finance community, particularly given Rubin's previous associations with notable firms such as Soros Fund Management. He has denied all allegations against him, despite prior civil judgments indicating a pattern of abusive behavior, according to ABC News and India Times.