Southlake woman accused of sex trafficking in New York worked at Carroll ISD
A Southlake resident who faces charges for allegedly trafficking women to New York for violent sexual encounters with her financier boss has served as a substitute teacher for a North Texas school district, officials said.
Jennifer Powers, 45, was arrested Friday. She worked at Carroll ISD for an undisclosed amount of time, the district confirmed in a statement on social media.
“The individual in question is no longer employed by Carroll ISD, has been fully removed from all roles, and no longer has any access to our campuses or facilities,” Carroll ISD Board of Trustees president Cam Bryan said in Tuesday’s statement.
According to a statement the school district released Sept. 26, “there is no connection between the allegations and any activity within CISD.”
Powers was released from federal custody after a court appearance Monday. She’s required to wear a GPS monitor as one of the conditions of her release, according to court records.
Powers is accused of helping recruit women to engage in sexual acts with retired New York financier Howard Rubin, 70, who has also been arrested and faces charges of sex trafficking and transporting women. Rubin allegedly paid the women up to $5,000 for each encounter, according to the indictment against the two defendants.
Rubin recruited dozens of women whom he paid for sex from approximately 2009 to 2019, court documents state. Powers, who began working as Rubin’s personal assistant around 2011, allegedly facilitated the encounters.
‘Sex dungeon’ victims recruited online, indictment says
“The defendants used Rubin’s wealth to mislead and recruit women to engage in commercial sex acts, where Rubin then tortured women beyond their consent, causing lasting physical and/or psychological pain, and in some cases physical injuries,” U.S. Attorney John Nocella of the Eastern District of New York said in a news release.
The women initially met Rubin at luxury hotels, but in 2011 the financier rented a luxury penthouse apartment near Central Park and he and Powers turned one of the bedrooms into a “sex dungeon,” the indictment states. The room was soundproofed, painted red, equipped with a lock and furnished with various items, including devices to shock or electrocute the women, according to the indictment.
According to the indictment, the pair often targeted former Playboy models whom they found through prostitution networks, modeling pages or social media. Among other things, Powers is accused of arranging travel and accommodations for the women, getting them to sign non-disclosure agreements and managing the fallout from their complaints after violent encounters with Rubin.
When the women did complain, the indictment states, and sent Powers photos of their injuries, she told them to apply ice or bruise cream. She also allegedly made excuses for Rubin, saying that he was drunk or that it was the woman’s fault for allowing him to get drunk.
Prosecutors say Powers was paid generously for her work. From around 2018 through 2023, Rubin paid the rent on Powers’ Manhattan apartment, her children’s private school tuition, her credit card bills and the down payment on her Texas home, authorities said.
Multiple women whom Rubin had allegedly paid for sex sued the financier and Powers for millions of dollars in damages in 2017. A jury dismissed the civil case in 2022.
School district conducts background checks
Carroll ISD officials didn’t immediately respond to a question from the Star-Telegram to confirm the dates Powers was employed by the school district. Officials haven’t publicly named the schools where Powers served as a substitute.
According to Tuesday’s statement, the district has reported Powers to the State Board for Educator Certification.
“Carroll ISD follows hiring protocols designed to protect students,” the statement reads.
Among other things, the district conducts required background checks — including fingerprint-based national criminal background checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Texas Department of Public Safety — for all employees and substitutes.
“In response to recent concerns, we are also reviewing our screening and re-screening practices to determine whether further improvements can be made, particularly when it comes to evaluating publicly available information and maintaining robust internal checks,” Bryan said in the statement.
This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 3:57 PM.
