By Howard Koplowitz
The Executive Motor Inn at 151-67 North Conduit Ave. “was a motel where guests arrived without luggage and stayed for only a few hours at best… It was run not as a motel but rather as an unabashed brothel catering to pimps and prostitutes – some of whom were underage and runaways,” Brown said.Before authorities shut down the establishment last Thursday, a pre-dawn raid on Dec. 10 led to the arrest of Philip Dixon of 128-11 147th St. – a 41-year-old alleged john, according to Brown. The DA said Dixon – who faces up to four years in prison if convicted of charges of rape, endangering the welfare of a child, patronizing a prostitute and sexual abuse – was inside one of the motels rooms with a 15-year-old runaway prostitute.The motel's night clerk, Erickson Bryant, 67, of 107-09 172nd St., was also arrested for allegedly allowing an undercover police officer posing as a hooker to book a room believing she was using it to service clients, the DA said. He was also charged with falsifying business records for letting the undercover officer use aliases when she booked the room, according to Brown. Bryant faces up to four years in prison if convicted of the charges.He allegedly led an undercover officer posing as a customer to the “hooker's” room despite telling the undercover officer posing as a prostitute that he was not allowed to bring “tricks” to a room, according to the DA. In another alleged incident, Bryant directed another undercover officer who said he had an appointment with a hooker to the “prostitute's” room, Brown said.One resident who lives two blocks away from the Executive Motor Inn said she was glad to see the motel shut down, noting that there were times cars would follow her as she walked down the street thinking she was “working” – despite the fact that she was pushing her young daughter in a stroller.”It was coming to the point where you couldn't walk to the store,” said Gladys Woodland, 33.She said there would be “strange cars parked on the block at 2 and 3 a.m.” and she would even find condoms scattered in front of her house.”Thank God it's closed down,” said another neighbor who did not want to be named. She said she would hear pimps arguing in the middle of the night.Another neighbor who lives on the block said she had not noticed a prostitution problem.”I'm surprised. It's a nice hotel. They've been here for a while,” she said.Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.
