D.C. Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey has been found dead in a home in Florida, police say.

Police in Tarpon Springs, Fla. were called to the home of Palfrey's mother, Blanche, to investigate an apparent suicide at 10:52 a.m. at the Sun Valley Mobile Home Park.

Police confirmed the dead woman as 52-year-old Deborah Jeane Palfrey.

Palfrey's body was found in a small storage shed near her mother's mobile home, police say.

There was a handwritten suicide note, but police did not disclose its contents.

Palfrey was convicted on April 15 of racketeering and money laundering charges for running a prostitution ring that catered to Washington's elite, including Sen. David Vitter (R-La.).

Throughout her trial in U.S. District Court, Palfrey maintained her company, Pamela Martin & Associates, provided legal escort services and catered to adult fantasies to 15,000 customers from 1993 until 2006.

Palfrey was scheduled to be sentenced on July 24. She faced a maximum of 55 years in prison.

One of Palfery's escort service employees was former University of Maryland, Baltimore County, professor Brandy Britton, who was arrested on prostitution charges in 2006. She committed suicide in January before she was scheduled to go to trial.

Last year, Palfrey said she, too, was humiliated by her prostitution charges, but said: "I guess I'm made of something that Brandy Britton wasn't made of."

In July 2007, Palfrey and her attorney at the time, Montgomery Blair Sibley, released what she called "46 pounds of phone records" from her business. Earlier that year, Palfrey had considered selling her telephone records to help pay for her legal defense.

At the time, Palfrey said in an email to WTOP that she was reluctant to release the information.

"I take no pleasure in being forced to reveal the identities of the clients and women of the service," Palfrey said.

Most of Palfrey's assets were frozen by federal authorities, in October 2006, after an IRS investigation.

In 1991, Palfrey was convicted for operating an illegal prostitution business in California and served 18 months in prison.

Despite her legal woes, Palfrey remained proud of her business.

"I ran a first-rate firm, with top quality associates patronized by some of the best people in this country as well as many internationally. I am quite proud of the business I ran and the ethical manner which it was conducted for almost a decade and a half period."