ALLEGED PIMP IS CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER WHILE IN CUSTODY ON RIKERS ISLAND AWAITING CHARGES OF PROMOTING PROSTITUTION

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that 31 year-old Alfonso Washington, has been convicted of conspiring to murder an alleged rival pimp. Other charges of promoting prostitution are still pending.

Washington, of 300 West 139^th Street, Manhattan, was convicted in a bench trial of one count of Conspiracy in the 2^nd degree a "B" class felony offense. Washington, a predicate felon, faces a maximum term of up to 25 years imprisonment when he appears before State Supreme Court Justice Caesar Cirigliano for sentencing on Friday, April 9, 2004 in Part T5.

A second defendant, 31 year-old Crystal Rhodes, Washington’s girlfriend, pled guilty last April to one count of Attempted Facilitation in the 2^nd degree, a "D" class felony offense. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Rhodes will be sentenced to a term of 5 years probation. Sentencing is set for Tuesday, May 18, 2004 in Part M60.

While being detained at the City jail on Rikers Island, Washington agreed to pay an undercover detective whom he believed to be a "hitman", two thousand dollars to murder a witness in a pending case in which Washington is charged with promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child.

It was determined that Washington acted in concert with Rhodes and conspired to have a second victim murdered for an additional two thousand dollars. The second target was a business rival that Washington wanted to have killed. Investigators said that Washington believed that the rival was responsible for and incident in December 2001 in which Washington was shot.

Assistant District Attorney Stuart Levy, Deputy Chief of Investigations and Assistant District Attorney Amir Toosi prosecuted this case.