Federal grand jury indicts former Rochester school teacher for promoting prostitution from his residence

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Eric Simpson, a/k/a Major Hands, 66, of Macedon, NY, with use of interstate facilities to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate a prostitution enterprise. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Chalbeck, who is handling the case, stated that Simpson was recently a public-school teacher in Rochester, who lived on Canandaigua Road in Macedon, NY. According to the indictment, between 2021, and December 2025, Simpson maintained and utilized his Canandaigua Road residence as a location where commercial sex workers met with customers and engaged in commercial sex transactions. Simpson regularly promoted, managed, and carried on prostitution parties, arranging to have commercial sex workers present and available to perform commercial sex acts with himself and with those he invited to the parties.

Simpson promoted the prostitution parties via email. In these emails, he detailed how many women would be present, sometimes identifying them by first name. Simpson managed the terms of the prostitution parties, including setting a cover charge for admission to the party, designating what rooms and other accommodations would be available, and telling prospective customers where to park, to avoid being parked too close to his house. The emails directed customers to negotiate "donations" for services directly with the "dancers."

In addition to the prostitution parties, Simpson promoted, established, and carried on prostitution activity by authorizing commercial sex workers to use his residence to meet with customers and engage in prostitution services even when he was not present. Simpson utilized the internet to advertise which commercial sex workers were working out of his residence, and to inform prospective commercial sex customers what specific sex acts the commercial sex workers would perform.

Simpson was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on conditions.

The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Macedon Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Colella, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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