Nevada pimp found dead at his brothel

LASVEGAS— Dennis Hof, a legal pimp who gained notoriety for an HBO series about his business and who has fashioned himself as a Donald Trump-style Republican candidate for the state Legislature, has died, Nevada authorities said yesterday.

An employee at Hof's Love Ranch brothel about an hour outside of Las Vegas summoned authorities after Hof was found unresponsive and not breathing, said Nye County Sheriff Lt. David Boruchowitz.

He declined to say where on the property Hof was found and said people at the business were being questioned.

"Preliminarily, there is no indication of foul play," Boruchowitz said.

Hof, who turned 72 on Sunday, was the Republican candidate this year in a heavily GOP state legislative district. Ballots have already been printed in the race and it wasn't immediately clear how elections officials would handle Hof's death.

Hof owned a handful of brothels in Nevada, the only state that allows them to legally operate.

His Love Ranch brothel is where NBA player Lamar Odom was found unconscious in 2015.

The brothel was temporarily shuttered twice this year by regulators who said Hof had failed to renew licenses and get proper permits for renovations.

Hof had also been accused of sexual assault on at least four occasions. The Nevada Department of Public Safety says it is investigating an allegation made in September but has released few details.

Hof had denied any wrongdoing. The flamboyant pimp starred in the HBO adult reality series "Cathouse" and wrote a book titled

"The Art of the Pimp," a play on Trump's book

"The Art of the Deal."