The Brass Key That Blew Open Bellhaven's Hotel Racketeering
From True Crime: Killer Secrets · 24:12
Show by OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT
The Brass Key That Blew Open Bellhaven's Hotel RacketeeringA single brass hotel key pulled from a trotline four miles south of Bellhaven started a chain that toppled a decade-long racketeering scheme and sent a man to prison for eleven years. How did a mechanical key from a hotel demolished eight years earlier unlock a covert system that siphoned hundreds of thousands from the city's convention economy?In this episode, we walk through the events from the morning Emily Vaughn found the key to the court record that exposed Paragon Hospitality Services' scheme, asking how many other cities might have been quietly taxed the same way.Person: Emily VaughnPerson: Leon GreenPerson: Person: Frank IngramOrganization: Paragon Hospitality ServicesDate: February 9, 2011- The brass hotel key was found tangled in a trotline four miles south of Bellhaven's downtown on February 9, 2011.- The hotel the key belonged to had been demolished eight years before the key was found.- Paragon-managed block-booking fees ran 12 to 18 percent above market, according to court records.- Frank Ingram received cash envelopes approximately every 60 days ranging between $1,800 and $2,200, totaling roughly $94,000 over seven years.- Kathleen Owens, age 22, photographed spreadsheets on three late evenings in fall 2010 while working as an administrative coordinator at Paragon.Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7210697© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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