Plea deal possibile in UES madam case after bail change denied

There could be a plea deal in the works for the alleged soccer mom madam, who was denied a lower bail Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court and remains locked up at Rikers Island.

Anna Gristina's new attorney, Gary Greenwald, told reporters after the hearing that a plea deal is on the table with prosecutors, although "that doesn't mean we're going to do [one]."

Gristina, 44, is charged with allegedly running a multimillion-dollar call-girl ring out of the Upper East Side and pleaded not guilty last month. She changed lawyers Wednesday.

One of her previous attorneys, Peter Gleason, wanted to use his TriBeCa pad as security for Gristina's $2 million bond and allow her to live there under house arrest. But Justice Juan Merchan said the arrangement wouldn't have been approved if Gleason remained her attorney.

With him no longer on the case, Gleason said Thursday he'd still offer up his home to cover the bail, but Greenwald later said that wouldn't happen.

Prosecutors consider Gristina, a British citizen living upstate, a flight risk. Merchan said despite the high amount of the bail, he wasn't persuaded to lower it.

Gristina faces up to seven years in prison if found guilty, and prosecutors said they were continuing with their investigation, which began five years ago.

A co-conspirator in the ring, Jaynie Mae Baker, 30, pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was released on $100,000 bail.

Gristina is due back in court June 7.

(With Newsday)