Robert Kraft accusations add to long list of scandals in Patriots history

As Patriots owner Robert Kraft deals with charges in connection with a prostitution sting in Florida, the organization and its fans must now prepare for the latest in a laundry list of scandals over the last decade.

The charges follow a series of raids involving at least eight massage parlors on the east coast of Florida, with police announcing the arrest of two women on prostitution, racketeering and money laundering charges on Tuesday.

>>MORE: Robert Kraft charged with soliciting prostitution in Florida human trafficking bust

Police said nearly 200 others would be arrested on solicitation charges, and they announced the arrest of eight other suspects linked to three massage parlors Thursday, plus nearly 200 men who solicited prostitution.

The Patriots owner was on the list of those involved in the sting, sending shockwaves throughout New England as they get set to live through yet another scandal involving a key piece of the puzzle.

Most recently, the Patriots were under fire for the notorious "Deflategate" situation during the 2014 season, with quarterback Tom Brady caught in the midst of a scandal surrounding deflated footballs.

>>MORE: Timeline: A rundown of the NFL, Tom Brady 'Deflategate' saga

Following the team's win in January of 2015 against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game, the storm began. A Colts reporter tweeted a day after the game that an investigation would be launched into a report about the deflated footballs, coming after officials were forced to replace 12 game balls from the first half with backup footballs.

A day later, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that 11 of the 12 footballs used in the first half were underinflated by "2 lbs each," adding to the buzz around the whole situation. For weeks, Brady and Belichick denied the accusations, utilizing every resource in their power to try and shut down the allegations.

Months of investigating followed, with the Wells Report coming on May 6, 2015 to say it was "more probable than not" that team personnel deliberately deflated the footballs, and that Brady was "at least generally aware" of the rules violations.

>>MORE: New book focused on "Deflategate" saga

Brady was notoriously suspended four games for the scandal, with the team forced to surrender two draft picks and $1 million in the process. Brady served his suspension in 2016, and the Patriots went on to win Super Bowl LI.

Going even further back in the team's history, the Patriots were forced to deal with the aftermath of tight end Aaron Hernandez's legal troubles, who they had drafted back in 2010.

>>MORE: Aaron Hernandez Timeline: From Odin Lloyd's death to present

Hernandez spent three years with the New England Patriots before his 2013 arrest on the first of three homicide charges.

The Patriots released the University of Florida product in 2013, shortly after he was arrested in the killing of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Hernandez was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

A week before his death, Hernandez was acquitted in the 2012 shootings of two men in Boston, as prosecutors claimed he gunned the two men down after one accidentally spilled a drink on him in a club. Investigators alleged the former Patriots tight end fatally shot Lloyd to keep him quiet about the two earlier murders.

>>MORE: Aaron Hernandez found hanged in cell

In April of 2017, Hernandez killed himself in prison while serving his life sentence, the same day the Patriots were set to visit the White House after winning Super Bowl LI.

The Patriots' troubles don't stop there, however, with the "Spygate" scandal coming almost 10 years before Hernandez's death in prison.

In that scandal, NFL security officials caught a Patriots assistant videotaping from the sidelines during a historic 2007 season, alleging that the 26-year-old was recording the Jets' defensive signals during a 38-14 Patriots win.

Eric Mangini, the Jets coach at the time, reportedly knew about the Patriots' tactics from when he was an assistant coach with the team, and his former coaching partner, Bill Belichick, released a statement apologizing for the situation.

>>MORE: Patriots respond to ESPN Spygate Report

The Patriots, who went 16-0 during the 2007 regular season, were forced to give up a draft pick for the incident and were fined $250,000, while Belichick was fined $500,000.

Allegations of the Patriots filming the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI followed, with the team denying any of the accusations.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged the allegations in 2008, but said no credible information was found during their investigation.

Adding on to the list was the Lisa Olson situation in 1990, where Patriots players Zeke Mowatt, Michael Impson and Robert Perryman were each fined in connection with alleged sexual harassment involving Olson, who was reporting on the team at the team.

Now, the Patriots can add another scandal to their history books, with the latest also following another Super Bowl win.

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