February and March, 2008: An 18-month IRS investigation revealed that high-priced escort services known as Denver Sugar and Denver Players had been operating in the city. Federal Judge Edward Nottingham was implicated (among others) as a client of the services.ABC News: Top Federal Judge Linked to Prostitution Ring (March 14, 2008) The prostitution rings were allegedly owned and operated by 32-year-old Brenda Lynn Stewart.DailyCamera.com: Complaint vs. federal judge in Denver sustained (March 14, 2008)

In addition to Judge Nottingham, the clientele of the prostitution rings allegedly included businessmen, doctors, and professional athletes, including players from the Denver Nuggets, Denver Broncos, Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Colorado Rockies.CBS 4 Denver: Call Girl Confesses: Sex At Exclusive Denver Club (February 27, 2008)

• Topix.net: Denver Sugar Denver Players
• Google News: Denver Sugar Denver Players
• ABC News: Top Federal Judge Linked to Prostitution Ring (March 14, 2008)
  • Nottingham's nickname among the prostitutes was "Naughty."
• DailyCamera.com: Complaint vs. federal judge in Denver sustained (March 14, 2008)
• The Blue Workhorse: Pro Athletes Involved in Prostitution Ring? (March 1, 2008)
• CBS 4 Denver: Call Girl Confesses: Sex At Exclusive Denver Club (February 27, 2008)
  • According to this story, members of Denver Sugar and Denver Players would meet with clients for after-hours parties at The Denver Club. The unnamed source said: "Basically, there was a lot of drug use, drinking, almost orgy type stuff going on."
• AOL Sports: FanHouse: Call Girl Claims Some Denver Broncos Were Customers in Prostitution Ring (February 28, 2008)
  • An unnamed former employee of the service has told CBS 4 in Denver that a number of Denver Broncos players, along with doctors and other Denver professionals, have patronized the service.
• DenverPost.com: High-end prostitution ring operated in Denver, feds say (February 8, 2008)
  • An unnamed escort has told the press that she worked for the service three nights a week, seeing three to four customers per shift. The prices at Denver Sugar/Denver Players seem to, on average, be much lower than its recently-exposed New York counterpart, Emperors Club VIP.
• Google Blog Search: Denver Sugar Denver Players