A note from The City team: This is the last episode of The City, at least for now. USA TODAY has decided to end the show.

 

We’ve loved bringing you stories for the past few years, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has listened and supported our work. In the meantime, we hope that you’ll continue to support local journalists in your city. 

 

TRANSCRIPT

Robin Amer: Hey, everyone. Robin here. I have another update to share with you about Season 2, our story about Reno. If this is your first time listening to The City, we recommend that you go back to the start of Season 2, because this story will make a lot more sense.

 

City team member: Previously on The City…

 

Judge: We all know that this is a theater. And I think that what, what he’s saying as far as the name of the game is to step up to the line and not go over it, I think that’s true. What I have concluded … is… that that line has been stepped over.

 

Stephanie: That’s when the undercover cop said, “Oh we need someone to sit on my buddy.” And like, I’m just thinking, like, OK, well if I go sit on his lap, I’m for sure gonna get that dance. 

 

Mark Thierman: When you asked if you could lick her, uh, down there, didn’t she respond by saying “maybe”?

Officer Leedy: At one point, yes.

Mark Thierman: She responded twice by saying “maybe.”

 

Stephanie: You know, it’s all in the tape. Like, maybe’s not yes. And so I was really confident.

Stephanie:  I’m just like praying that the next judge will actually see that. You know, I didn’t do anything wrong.

 

Robin Amer: Ok, so that last voice you heard was Stephanie. Remember her?

She’s the single mom who was working as a dancer at the Spice House, one of Kamy Keshmiri’s strip clubs. Stephanie’s the one who got caught up in an undercover police sting and was later found guilty of solicitation of prostitution.

Now, when we last heard from Stephanie, she was still stripping while she waited for the courts to review her case. The stakes were high: if her conviction stuck, she would lose her license to dance in Reno, and all of her income.

But back in March, the courts reached a decision in Stephanie’s appeal. We got her on the phone after she’d spoken to her lawyer, Mark Thierman.

Here’s Stephanie.

– – – 

Stephanie: Mark called me and told me the great news that I won the appeal. I always just felt like I was going to hear those words one day because I really am innocent. And, you know, I really didn’t do anything wrong.

Like they were just trying to force it. Trying to make it stick. They just didn’t want to make it go away. When the officers heard “no” the first three times, he should have backed off and not even tried to push for it. I feel like they were trying to, like, entrap me. 

I’m just happy that this judge, you know, ruled in my favor. I’m just thankful and I thank God because I would have never made it through.

I was so, you know, shooken up. I was so sad about the whole thing. You know, I’d never been in trouble in my life. And they were trying to make me look like some person I wasn’t.  They tried to paint me as a bad person, and anybody that knows me knows I’m not. And I just couldn’t believe that I was even in that position in the first place.

It’s over now, and I’m gonna move on and do great things.

I’m so busy these days. I have two jobs, actually. And then I go to school.

I haven’t been to Reno in a long time. I’m a single mom. And I was just there to provide for my girls. That was the only option I had at that time because, you know, I live in California. It’s really expensive here. And minimum wage jobs were just not paying for my bills. 

I just, you know, just wanted to support my kids. I’ll do whatever it takes to support my kids.

I mean, I miss how much—like the money was really good. That’s the only part I like… (laughs) That’s the only part, like. But going to school actually and then getting this new job. I know soon I’ll be able to like make that same, like, amount but just closer to home. 

Soon I’ll be able to, like, make that same, like, amount but just closer to home. You know, if don’t have to drive out there, I don’t I don’t want to. 

 – – – 

Robin Amer: That’s it for this bonus episode.

That’s also it for The City. This was our last episode, at least for now. USA TODAY has decided to end the show.

We’ve loved bringing you stories for the past few years, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has listened and supported our work.

In the meantime, we hope that you’ll continue to support local journalists in your city. And that you stay safe during this pandemic.

CREDITS

The City has been a production of USA TODAY, distributed in partnership with Wondery.

Our bonus episode today was reported and produced by Anjeanette Damon, Kameel Stanley, Taylor Maycan, and me, Robin Amer. Our editors are Amy Pyle and Matt Doig. Original music and mixing is by Hannis Brown. Legal review by Tom Curley. Editorial oversight by Brian Duggan and Chris Davis.

I’m Robin Amer. Thanks for listening.