GRASMERE — A notorious motel that was shuttered after investigators found it was used by prostitutes has reopened — but no longer rents rooms by the hour.
The Staten Island Motor Lodge at 481 Hylan Blvd. quietly reopened after its owners agreed in a court settlement to take measures to halt the sex business on its premises, the New York Times reported.
Under the settlement, the owners agreed to install security cameras, record guest identifications, stop offering hourly rates, add signs that say prostitution is prohibited and pay a $10,000 fine, the Times reported.
The hotel was shut down in August after complaints from neighbors, arrests for prostitution and a nearly seven-month investigation, according to prosecutors.
Numerous ads on Backpage.com posted by sex workers directed clients to the hotel, which was also the site of drug activity and several robberies, prosecutors said.
The borough's district attorney, Michael McMahon, lauded the shut-down at the time and said he would prevent the hotel from reopening until its owners made changes.
From February 2015 to August 2016, police made arrests on at least eight days at the hotel, including of several prostitutes who charged undercover officers between $120 and $160 for services in sting operations, according to the abatement notice.
The spot was also used by fired NYPD Officer Eduardo Cornejo to bring prostitutes he employed to clients, the Times reported.
Cornejo was arrested in February for pimping out women around the city and pleaded guilty to the charges in September.
Two people were also arrested on Nov. 17, 2015, after they lured a victim to one of the rooms to meet with a prostitute but instead robbed him at gunpoint, according to court documents.
Undercover officers posing as johns were also allowed to use hotel rooms for prostitution after they paid for the room and gave a worker a $40 tip, according to the abatement notice.
