Packer guilty, women charged with prostitution
By Andy Steinke, Dells Events
The Green Bay Packers player who allegedly sexually assaulted two women last summer in Lake Delton was found guilty of prostitution and fined Wednesday in Sauk County Circuit Court, but the women involved were also charged by the district attorney.
Brandon Underwood, 24, a cornerback for the Packers, entered a plea of no contest to one count of prostitution - non-marital sexual intercourse, the same day the criminal complaint was filed by the district attorney's office.
A judge found him guilty due to the no contest plea and fined him $379.
The misdemeanor charge can be filed, according to state law, when a person intentionally has non-marital sex for anything of value. It has a maximum penalty of $10,000 in fines and 9 months imprisonment.
A Green Bay Packers spokesperson did not return a voice message asking for comment on the case.
The two women involved - Kesha Cureton, 34, and Tynecha Lipsco, 32 - were also charged Wednesday, each with a misdemeanor count of prostitution - sexual contact.
Judge Patrick Taggart said because both women were charged, and no longer legally treated as victims, it allowed for a quick resolution of Underwood's case.
Underwood and six other players - QB Matt Flynn, guard Josh Sitton, fullback Korey Hall, linebacker Brad Jones, safety Khalil Jones and linebacker Clay Matthews - were interviewed by Lake Delton Police June 5 regarding an alleged rape at their Wilderness Resort condo.
The two women told police that a Packer, later identified as Underwood, had raped them.
According to the criminal complaint, the women met Underwood at Cruisin' Chubby's Gentlemen's Club. He told them he was a Packers player, and said he was there with some of the other players, who were in the Dells for a charity golf event.
Underwood told an investigator that the women asked him to have sex for money. He said he declined several times, but did eventually agree to give them each $250 for sex.
The women, however, told investigators that the money was only for pictures with Underwood.
The women gave him a ride back to the condo, but first made a stop at Walgreens so he could withdraw $500 from an ATM.
Once at the condo, the women used a cell phone to take pictures of themselves with a naked Underwood.
Lipsco said Underwood tried to have sex with her against her will.
Underwood told police he had sex with both women, but it was consensual.
The other players, who were staying in the same condo, were initially implicated in the assault, too, but the women changed their stories to identify only Underwood.
The case has been pending since mid-June, and some have wondered why charges had yet to be filed.
District Attorney Patricia Barrett said Wednesday that her office had been waiting to receive the last item it had requested. She wouldn't say what that was, but said it was received Jan. 31.
Police referred the case to Barrett without recommended charges because of contradicting stories from Underwood and the two women.
When asked if there were any negotiations with Underwood's attorney prior to the charges being filed, Barrett said neither she nor her office has ever engaged in pre-charging decisions.
"He (Underwood) has counsel, and we did have an agreement for his appearance," Barrett said. "If someone is represented by counsel and wishes to ask when to appear in court for the state's position on a plea, I will discuss that. Plea negotiations are something totally separate from charging decisions. I get asked to discuss charging decisions, but I don't."
Following the alleged incident, the women left the condo in a vehicle and pulled off the road to call 911.
Police found the seven players in the condo, and questioned them. Six of the seven were immediately released after questioning, and Underwood was released after a second interview.
Nurses performed sexual assault exams on the two women and police collected evidence from the condo and DNA samples from the players.
The case was returned to Lake Delton Police for follow-up investigation, and the department was assisted by investigators from the Department of Justice.
Lake Delton Police declined to comment on the case through a press release.
If Underwood pays his fine and remains law abiding, he can apply for his record to be expunged.
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