Johnny DelPrete, the boyfriend of professional golfer Jessica Korda, is accused of being one of the many men nabbed in a Florida prostitution and human trafficking sting.
The sting most famously netted New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft, although he has denied the accusations that he visited a Jupiter, Florida spa for illegal sexual purpose. The crackdown was part of a sweeping law enforcement investigation into human trafficking at Florida spas.
Now, other names have started trickling out; among them, Johnny DelPrete.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. DelPrete Was Arrested as Part of the Sting in Martin County
Jessica Korda celebrates a par saving putt on the 14th green with her caddie/boyfriend Johnny DelPrete during the third round of the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack Golf Club on June 29, 2013 in Southampton, New York.
Johnny DelPrete was arrested on the morning of Friday, February 22, 2019.
The booking information from the Martin County Sheriff’s Department provides this information about the arrest of DelPrete (Heavy has removed his street address and date of birth):
DELPRETE, JOHN ARMANDO
Race: W
Sex: M
Place of Birth: Florida
City: PALM CITY, Florida 34990
Booking Nbr: 4302094263
Booking Date: 02/22/19
Time: 03:23:00
Arresting Agency: MCS
Officer: GREGORY
Place of Arrest: 800 SE MONTEREY RD. STUART
Initial Arrest Date for these charges: 02/22/19
Charge: 796.07(4A1) SOLICITING-ENGAGING-PERMITTING PROSTITUTION/USE OF A STRUCTURE OR CONVEYANCE TO PROSTITUTION/OPERATING AHOUSE OF PROSTITUTION
Bond: 500.00
Charge: 796.07(4A1) SOLICITING-ENGAGING-PERMITTING PROSTITUTION/USE OF A STRUCTURE OR CONVEYANCE TO PROSTITUTION/OPERATING AHOUSE OF PROSTITUTION
Bond: 2000.00
Employer: SELF
Occupation: SALES
He was one of 25 people accused in Martin County as part of the sweeping human trafficking investigation. Robert Kraft was accused by Jupiter Police in a sting involving a different spa there. The Martin County booking information contains multiple men accused of similar offenses from all different walks of life.
According to TCPalm, 10 spas were shut down throughout Florida as part of the investigation, and the women were allegedly in “sexual servitude.”
2. DelPrete Is a Licensed Realtor Who Played Professional Golf
Jessica Korda and Johnny DelPrete.
Although DelPrete now works in real estate, he, too, once played professional golf. According to his LinkedIn page, Johnny DelPrete works as a licensed realtor in Jupiter, Florida, a position he’s held for more than a year.
Before that, he was a professional golfer on the PGA tour from 2011 through 2017, his LinkedIn page states. Under that entry, he listed: “Web.Com Tour, PGA Tour Canada, and PGA Tour China.” He is 6 foot 1 inches tall and turned pro in 2010.
According to the Bleacher Report, DelPrete “appeared in eight Web.com Tour events between 2012 and 2014.”
3. DelPrete Attended Two Universities Before Turning Pro
The Bleacher Report notes that Johnny DelPrete, 29, is a native of Florida “who attended the University of Louisville and the University of Mississippi before turning pro in 2010.”
On LinkedIn, under education, he listed the University of Mississippi School of Business Administration. On Twitter, DePrete wrote mostly about golf and other sports, but he hasn’t tweeted since 2016.
Jessica Korda’s been active on her Twitter page, but she hasn’t said anything about her boyfriend’s arrest.
Happy #nationalloveyourpetday PetDay 💙you have been the greatest gift I’ve ever received 🐶💙 #ineedyoumore 📸: @Titleist_Joe
Korda’s been tweeting about her pet and golf.
4. Jessica Korda Fired Her Caddie in the Middle of a Round & Replaced Him With DelPrete
GettyJessica Korda and Johnny DelPrete.
In 2013, Jessica Korda, then 20, fired her caddie in the middle of a round of golf, and replaced him with DelPrete, her boyfriend, according to Bleacher Report.
The move came in the middle of the U.S. Open and, according to the sports site, created “a reality television-like sideshow in the third round.”
The story reports that Korda is the daughter of 1998 Australian Open tennis winner Petr Korda. Her mother Regina Rajchrtová was also a tennis player, and her sister Nelly is a golfer too.
She did better on the links after DelPrete jointed her from the gallery in the surprise move, Bleacher Report said. According to the LPGA, Jessica Korda’s career winnings have totaled more than $4.6 million. She has five LPGA tour victories. She started playing golf at age 8.
5. DelPrete Loves Playing Cards & Once Worked in a Meat Market
Jessica Korda and Johnny DelPrete.
A biography for the Web.com golf tour provided factoids about DelPrete’s background. It says his “biggest thrill in golf is having to make a putt on No. 18” and adds that DelPrete “never travels without a deck of cards.”
His favorite movie was Wedding Crashers and his favorite TV shows were Prison Break and Breaking Bad. He enjoys Taylor Swift, Italian food, and Prague.
“Favorite restaurants are ‘mom-and-pop places.’ Favorite athlete is Kobe Bryant,” says the bio, adding that he’d like to trade places with Justin Timberlake and travel to Australia.
He was described as enjoying charity work and spending “many hours working in his father’s meat market in New York. Has caddied in the past for his friend, LPGA star Jessica Korda.”