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John E. “Jed” Brunst

No alias recorded

ChargedArrestedConvictedAcquittedSentenced

Public record reviewed to August 23, 2026

Index entry last updated August 23, 2026

Co-owner.

A conviction or guilty plea is recorded in this entry.

  • Publicly named in the Backpage prosecution; role: Owner/executive.

Everything on this page comes from cited public sources.

This entry records 5 actions across 1 takedown, each traced to a cited source. At least one linked takedown was added in the extended pass and was not independently source verified. Where the record is silent, this page says so rather than filling the gap.

Legal summary

Associated takedowns
Backpage.com seizure
Recorded role
Co-owner
Group segment
Core operator
Charging authority
United States Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona
Charging jurisdiction
Not recorded
Case number
CR-18-00422-PHX (BSB)
Latest recorded action
Sentenced, August 2024
Nationality
Not established
Country of residence
United States
Recorded sentence
120 months imprisonment (60 months on Count 1 plus 60 months consecutive on Counts 52, 53-62 and 64-68); three years supervised release; USD 50,000 fine; USD 1,700 special assessment.

Sources

Every claim on this person's pages traces to one of the entries below.

Official announcements come first, then the reporting that supports individual details.

6 sources cited across 5 recorded actions

  1. [1]
    Justice Department Leads Effort to Seize Backpage.Com, the Internet's Leading Forum for Prostitution Ads, and Obtains 93-Count Federal Indictment

    U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, April 9, 2018 Prosecutor release Source grade P1

    Establishes the Backpage.com seizure and the indictment of its founders and executives.

    Open source
  2. [2]
    Backpage’s Co-founder and CEO, As Well As Several Backpage-Related Corporate Entities, Enter Guilty Pleas

    United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, April 12, 2018 Prosecutor release Source grade P1

    Carl Ferrer's guilty plea and the corporate guilty pleas, plus the arrest of all seven defendants charged in the 93-count indictment on 6 April 2018 and the initial appearances of Lacey, Larkin, Spear, Brunst, Hyer, Padilla and Vaught

    Open source
  3. [3]
    Backpage Principals Convicted of $500M Prostitution Promotion Scheme

    United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, November 17, 2023 Prosecutor release Source grade P1

    Trial convictions of Lacey, Spear and Brunst

    Open source
  4. [4]
    Backpage Principals Convicted of $500M Prostitution Enterprises Promotion Scheme

    United States Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, November 17, 2023 Prosecutor release Source grade P1

    Backpage trial outcome: the convictions of Michael Lacey, Scott Spear and John 'Jed' Brunst, and the acquittal of Andre Padilla and Joye Vaught on all charges

    Open source
  5. [5]
    Three Owners of Notorious Prostitution Website Backpage Sentenced

    United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, August 28, 2024 Prosecutor release Source grade P1

    Sentences for Lacey, Spear and Brunst; Ferrer and Hyer pleas; Larkin death; agencies

    Open source
  6. [6]
    US v. Backpage

    United States Attorney's Office, District of Arizona Other Source grade P0

    Docket numbers, judgments, appeals, forfeiture cases and later sentencing entries

    Open source
Coverage note. Nothing on this page rests on an uncited claim. Where a source is silent on an outcome, this entry leaves the outcome unstated rather than inferring one. At least one linked takedown was added in the extended pass and was not independently source verified.