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District Judge James Caputo reportedly under investigation for ties to alleged prostitution at massage business

Posted: Oct 18th 2018 By: www.tulsaworld.com

A Tulsa County district judge is under investigation on allegations that he was a customer of a massage business that police say was a front for prostitution.

District Judge James Caputo, who is up for re-election in November, is under investigation, The Oklahoman reported online Wednesday. No charges have been filed against Caputo.

In a statement released to the Tulsa World, Caputo called the accusation “unfounded” and questioned the timing of its release.

“Judges and public figures today are routinely targeted by people with political or personal motivations,” the judge said.

“It seems the more salacious the accusation the more press and attention the accusations receive.”

Caputo went on to say that if “such totally false accusations are being investigated, I welcome the opportunity to address them personally and fully with any investigating body. It would appear to be no coincidence that such unfounded accusations are made less than three weeks before Election Day.”

Washington County District Attorney Kevin Buchanan was assigned to handle the case involving the massage business after Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler asked that the local office be recused, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

In his Aug. 31 letter requesting the recusal, Kunzweiler said his office had a “working relationship” with “a person named as a patron of this establishment.”

Jennings Fairless, Cristina Leann Rubio and Katey Marie Phipps were charged Feb. 23 with racketeering and prostitution counts. The charges came after police alleged that an August 2017 operation by the Tulsa Police Department’s Vice Unit found that the spa offered sexual services and used at least one juvenile.

The Vice Unit served warrants at Phase 2 Spa, 10301 E. 51st St., and Phase 3 Spa, 7630 E. 46th Place, on Aug. 17, 2017.