Court action could freeze up to $10M of Speedbowl owner's assets
Bridgeport — An action filed in Bridgeport Superior Court on Wednesday morning could force Bruce Bemer and another alleged perpetrator of sex trafficking to relinquish up to $10 million in assets.
In a news release, members of Faxon Law Group said they filed a motion on behalf of two victims so they could “obtain financial justice.”
If the motion goes through, the court would take control of the assets of Bemer, the 63-year-old owner of the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, and William Trefzger, 72, of Westport. Both men are facing charges of patronizing a trafficked person in Danbury Superior Court.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Bemer, Trefzger and a 50-year-old Danbury resident named Robert King played critical roles in a decadeslong prostitution ring that involved mentally disabled young men who were lured in with promises of friendship, money and drugs.
King is facing charges of promoting prostitution and tampering with a witness in relation to the case.
Under state law, New Haven trial lawyer Joel T. Faxon explained, Bemer and Trefzger at this point shouldn't make any effort to sell, abandon, hide or otherwise dispose of their assets, given the possibility they’ll need to pay a large amount in damages.
That’s because the law maintains a person can be found guilty of fraudulently transferring assets if he did so while he reasonably should have believed he would incur debts he couldn’t pay as they became due.
“Let’s assume a reasonable person is engaged in a sex trafficking conspiracy which targets the mentally ill,” Faxon said. “It’s a pretty easy case for me to make out that a reasonable person would expect he could be sued.”
Faxon said he intends to argue that all transactions Bemer and Trefzger made back to the beginning of the alleged ring — whether they involved the disposal of houses, vehicles, aircraft, stocks, bonds or otherwise — are subject to reversal.
“The victims of their crimes have a right to those monies,” he said.
If recent or even old transactions are overturned, Faxon said, the money could be directed to the victims and also to the state, which has housed some of the victims and funded the rehabilitation of others.
“You and I are paying for the aftermath of this criminal enterprise,” Faxon said, “and that isn’t right.”
Wednesday’s filing also will allow those involved in the case to understand the immensity of the alleged perpetrators' assets and determine how best to go forward, Faxon said.
“I expect (the action) would go through given the severity of the criminal charges here,” he said, calling what Bemer and Trefzger allegedly were involved in “a sexual trafficking racketeering operation.”
“It will be a substantial amount of money needed to repair the damage caused by this group,” he continued.
Faxon said the hearing for the action is scheduled for April 24, but could be expedited. While Wednesday’s filing represents two victims, Faxon said he represents “several” and expects to file more such actions in the coming weeks.
The $10 million figure, he said, could increase as a result.
“This (crime) isn’t insured,” Faxon said of Bemer’s and Trefzger’s alleged actions. “This is not like an auto collision. This is depraved sexual activity.”
