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'Millionaire Madam's' Alleged Accomplice to Turn Herself In

By DNAinfo Staff on March 12, 2012 7:13am

Jaynie Baker worked at VIP Life by day.
Jaynie Baker worked at VIP Life by day.
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MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT —  "Millionaire Madam" Anna Gristina's alleged accomplice is expected to turn herself in to authorities Monday, sources said.

Jaynie Mae Baker, 30, who has been missing since Gristina was arrested on Feb. 22, was expected to be arraigned shortly thereafter on a promoting prostitution charge, sources said.

Gristina, meanwhile, could be sprung Monday from Rikers Island, where she's being held on $2 million bail. Her lawyer Peter Gleason told DNAinfo he will offer up his TriBeCa home as collateral to help free the mother of four who's accused of running a prostitution empire out of an apartment at 304 East 78th St.

The hearing Monday is expected to determine whether Gleason should be placed under a gag order in the "Millionaire Madam" case because of comments he has made to the press. First Amendment attorney Ron Kuby planned to appear on Gleason's behalf. The hearing will also determine whether she is entitled to her court-appointed lawyer, Richard Siracusa.

Baker, a recruiter for high-profile matchmakers Club VIP Life, was indicted on suspicion of helping Gristina run the prostitution operation that allegedly serviced extremely wealthy clients.

It is unknown where Baker has been since Gristina's arrest, though friends and former colleagues said she had been planning a trip to the West Coast for several weeks.

Sources said she was on vacation, rather than on the run, when she heard prosecutors were looking for her.

Baker was last seen by a Club VIP Life co-worker about a month ago as she hosted a dinner party in her Brooklyn home with her boyfriend.

“She is so sweet and so loyal,” said Lisa Clampitt, the founder of Club VIP Life which is based on Fifth Avenue. She said she would be “horrified” if the allegations against Baker were true.

Baker has retained veteran defense attorney Robert Gottlieb, who has been negotiating her surrender but declined to comment on her whereabouts.

Gristina, 44, a Scottish immigrant and mother of four who lives in upstate Monroe,  bragged about making millions running the brothel, and also claimed to have law enforcement ties that would tip her off if she was under investigation, according to court papers.

She was pictured in the New York Post last week sitting in the lap of retired NYPD detective Sly Francis.

Sources said he worked as a bodyguard for her while she was going through a divorce with her ex-husband, Dario Gristina.

Both Gristina and Baker face up to seven years in prison.

Additional Reporting by Serena Solomon and Murray Weiss