Defendant Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Running Extensive Prostitution Enterprise in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG – In a shocking turn of events, a Russian national has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for running an extensive and long-running prostitution enterprise in the state of Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Anton Panin, age 43, a Russian citizen who unlawfully resided in south Florida, was sentenced by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary to 46 months in prison for conspiring to transport and entice individuals to engage in prostitution.

The evidence established that Panin operated a prostitution enterprise called XO Companions (or XOC) from at least 2016 until his arrest in 2023. Panin and others recruited women in Russia and other Eastern European countries to travel to the United States to work as prostitutes for XO Companions. Once in the United States, XO Companions workers traveled throughout the country to meet with clients in major cities.

At Panin’s direction, XO Companions workers transferred a significant portion of the prostitution proceeds to him. Additionally, Panin operated a password-protected website through which clients could view schedules, view services offered, reserve time, and provide reviews.

Federal authorities investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.

Following his criminal sentence, Panin will be transferred to ICE custody for removal proceedings. This shocking case highlights the need for increased scrutiny of international prostitution rings and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller said, ‘Panin’s actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the law and the well-being of the individuals he exploited. We will continue to work tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle these types of organizations.’

This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.

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