Prostitution Banned at Mustang Ranch
Storey County commissioners have prohibited prostitution at the bankrupt Mustang Ranch, saying they are tired of the “circus” surrounding Nevada’s most notorious legal bordello.
The commission’s vote Tuesday means the Internal Revenue Service will not be able to sell the property as a brothel when it is put on the auction block. The IRS seized the Mustang on Sept. 21 for a tax debt estimated at $13 million owed by owners Joe and Sally Conforte.
Commissioner Karl Larson said the county remains in favor of legalized prostitution and legal bordellos. It’s just weary of the ruckus stirred by Mustang’s notoriety.
“We’re tired of the circus,” Larson said. “Conforte is gone, and now is the time to minimize our problems.” He said allowing prostitution to continue at the 440-acre ranch would perpetuate its “current state of notoriety.”
Federal bankruptcy trustees assumed management of the Mustang after the Confortes filed for liquidation. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge James Thompson said the only creditor of significance was the IRS. So he turned it over to the agency to dispose of as it wished.
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