Photo Caption: LAX Gentleman's Club at 2216 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Greensboro.
GREENSBORO — Police are continuing their investigation into a shooting at a strip club earlier this month, and they have filed charges against the former manager, who they say refused to help the victim, mopped up the crime scene and refused to cooperate in their investigation.
But an attorney for Rocco Scarfone, part owner of the club, says management has cooperated in the investigation and police allegations are not supported by surveillance video.
On Wednesday, police filed charges against 29-year-old Quinton Jones, the former manager of the LAX Gentlemen’s Club at 2216 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, in connection with the alleged cover-up of a shooting there.
Police said that on Nov. 7, 23-year-old Demmetre Fox was shot in the club’s parking lot after club security broke up a fight inside the establishment.
Both parties had been escorted outside, when police believe Leroy Copney Jr., 37, pulled a handgun and shot Fox multiple times.
Copney was arrested Friday and is charged with attempted first-degree murder. He is being held on a $1 million bond.
On Saturday, the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Commission suspended LAX’s alcohol license after receiving sworn affidavits from law enforcement that Jones attempted to cover up the crime scene.
According to the affidavits:
Authorities say that witnesses told them that when the shooting occurred, the club’s management refused to call 911 for an ambulance and told Fox’s friend that he would have to drive him to the hospital.
He did so and met an off-duty police officer at Moses Cone Hospital, whom he told about the shooting at LAX.
One of the first officers who arrived said he found a crime scene behind the club with blood smears on a car and wet spots on the ground that smelled of bleach.
He said he spoke with club security, who said they knew nothing about a shooting or about bleach being used to clean up a crime scene.
The officer said he then spoke with Jones, who said there was an altercation but refused to provide further information. The officer said Jones smelled like bleach, according to the affidavit.
The lead investigator on the case, Greensboro police Cpl. H. Pate, said he reviewed seized video from the club that showed security escorting several people into the lot.
Club security watched the individuals in the parking lot, and when shots were fired, he said, they can be seen running back into the club.
A few minutes later, he said, security can be seen back outside of the club with Jones. They have a short conversation and go back inside.
“Security returns outside with buckets and mops and starts cleaning up the crime scene,” Pate wrote.
The affidavits also state that Jones denied that the club had working surveillance cameras.
Jones, of 3700 Laurel Bluff Circle in High Point, was charged with misdemeanor resisting a public officer and was given a written promise to appear in court.
Amiel Rossabi, Scarfone’s attorney, said Jones has been fired for “errors in judgment” but denied allegations that the manager and others cleaned up a crime scene or hindered a police investigation. Jones did not return a message seeking comment.
“There is no video of a clean-up taking place,” Rossabi said.
“We refer everyone to the video, and the allegations are not supported by the video.”
Rossabi said that police never had to seize a tape of the incident but were given one by Scarfone, who immediately handed it over after learning about the incident.
Rossabi said that the day of the shooting, he coordinated police interviews with Jones and security personnel at the club.
“All day Sunday, I was bringing in employees to help with the investigation,” Rossabi said. He also denied that anyone refused to dial 911.
Police Chief Ken Miller said that the video supports the accounts in the affidavits.
“What happens is that one point in the video, you see individuals carrying pails of water out and a mop going out that way,” Miller said.
“Our crime scene was destroyed with water and bleach.”
Miller said that Rossabi did help coordinate interviews with club personnel but would not let them speak with detectives about obliterating a crime scene
“Obviously, they are invoking their Fifth Amendment rights,” Miller said. “It wasn’t full-blown cooperation.”
In addition to the incidents surrounding the shooting, the ABC Commission cited 44 police calls to the club since February, some regarding shootings or stabbings, as additional reasons for suspending the alcohol license.
A full breakdown of those numbers was not available Monday from Greensboro police.
However, Rossabi said that police were only called 33 times, with the majority being for minor disturbances. He said the club also is appealing the suspension of its alcohol license.
Miller said an investigation regarding the shooting is ongoing but added it is possible he may recommend the city take legal action to have LAX shut down permanently as a public nuisance.
Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com
GREENSBORO — The ABC permits have been suspended for a Greensboro club where a shooting occurred earlier this month.
In documents provided Sunday by Greensboro police, the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission stated it has suspended the permits for LAX Gentleman's Club, where the shooting happened Nov. 7.
A fight occurred inside the club, and security escorted the people involved outside. At some point, one of them pulled out a gun and shot another man.
In the documents, authorities allege that workers at the club refused to call 911 and told a friend of the wounded man that he would have to take him to the hospital. Police learned of the shooting when the man was brought to the hospital.
When officers went to the club, they were told by the club's night manager, Quinton Jones, that no fight or shooting had occurred, according to the documents. Police later reviewed the club's video surveillance system - after first being told that it didn't work - and determined that club workers had attempted to clean up the crime scene with bleach, according to the documents.
Leroy Starr Copney Jr., 37, of 801 Moultrie Ct. Apt. D, has been charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of 23-year-old Demettere Myja Fox.
The club is part-owned by Rocco Scarfone, whose establishments have recently come under scrutiny.
Photo Caption: A privacy fence in October beside the Bare Villa club, previously known as Sugar Bare Lost Dimensions.
GREENSBORO — The city has settled its public nuisance lawsuit filed against a strip club and bar complex.
The lawsuit centered on a nightclub at 510 Farragut St. The nightclub used various names over the past eight years, including Sugar Bares, Lost Dimensions and Nikita’s.
The city filed a lawsuit in January that included statements from undercover officers who said they witnessed dancers openly engaging in and soliciting prostitution during a seven-month investigation of the club last year.
The city also alleged the club has been the site of many criminal investigations, including two homicides and numerous 911 calls since 2001.
In the settlement, the defendants admitted no wrongdoing.
Darryl McCarroll, the operator of the business, has agreed to close the business and not operate a bar or sexually-oriented business in Guilford County in the future, according to a news release from the city.
Land owner Clarence Ray Jernigan has agreed to not allow a sexually-oriented business to operate on his property for the next seven years.
Photo Caption: A privacy fence in October beside the Bare Villa club, previously known as Sugar Bare Lost Dimensions.
GREENSBORO – Lawyers are negotiating a possible settlement in the city’s case against a strip club and bar complex targeted for closure as a nuisance.
Attorneys for both the city and for Darryl McCarroll, owner of Bare Villa and Nakitas Playhouse, and Clarence Jernigan, owner of the building at 512 Farragut St., discussed a possible settlement this morning in Guilford County Superior Court.
Among the proposals are stipulations that McCarroll would not operate a sexually oriented business or bar in Guilford County and Jernigan wouldn’t allow another sexually oriented business to operate at the property.
Attorneys said an agreement was in place as recently as last week, but they have since had problems agreeing on specific terms such as possible time limitations on the bans and whether the city would support another business obtaining an ABC permit to serve alcohol on Jernigan’s property.
Superior Court Judge Ronald Spivey has allowed both sides to continue their negotiations throughout the day to reach a tentative agreement and avoid a jury trial.
But if an agreement is reached, it must be approved by the City Council, and the city’s lawyers said it would be difficult to get such an approval at tonight’s council meeting.
Jernigan’s lawyer said his client is concerned about waiting until May for the council’s approval, citing a desire to obtain a new tenant at the location.
The city filed a lawsuit in January that included statements from undercover officers who said they witnessed dancers openly engaging in and soliciting prostitution during a seven-month investigation of the club last year.
The city also alleges the club has also been the site of many criminal investigations, including two homicides and numerous 911 calls since 2001.
State law allows municipalities to take civil action to close businesses that are deemed a public nuisance.
--on the web |
from www.foliomag.com - While many of the consumer magazines included in the Audit Bureau of Circulations’ FAS-FAX report for the second half of 2009 made their rate base requirements for the period, many others, including some heavyweights, did not.
Of the 30 or so large circulation magazines with rate bases of 2 million or higher—including AARP, Time and Better Home & Gardens—Reader’s Digest and Playboy were the only titles to fall short of their circ. guarantee. With an 8 million rate base, Reader’s Digest delivered an overall paid and verified circulation of 7,099,558 during the second half. Playboy reported an overall circ. of 2,021,751, more than 570,000 off its 2.6 million rate base.
Playboy also fell short during the first half of 2009, delivering a total paid and verified circ. of 2,453,266.
Generally, when a magazine doesn’t make its rate base, its publisher is required to issue refunds to its advertisers or make other concessions.
A number of celebrity titles also had trouble reaching their minimum circ. numbers during the second half of 2009. Among them were American Media’s Star (1.1 million rate base compared to 1,035,713 overall circ.), OK! (800,000 rate base vs. 753,886 overall circ.) and Bauer’s In Touch (800,000 rate base vs. 790,395 overall circ.).
Chicago-based Johnson Publishing also failed to reach its circ. promises. Ebony reported an overall circ of 1,169,870 compared to a rate base of 1,250,000. Jet, meanwhile, missed its 900,000 rate base, reporting an overall circ of only 795,055.
Other notable titles that missed rate bases were Harper’s (200,000 rate base vs. 195,114 overall circ.), Soap Opera Digest (500,000 rate base vs. 487,629 overall circ.) and Emmis Publishing’s Los Angeles (150,000 rate base vs. 140,022 overall circ.).
--press release |
HOUSTON and DENVER -- Rick's Cabaret International, Inc., VCG Holding Corp. and Troy Lowrie and his affiliates have signed a letter of intent under which Rick's Cabaret will acquire all of the outstanding shares of VCG Holding to form the largest publicly traded operator of upscale gentlemen's clubs in North America, the two companies announced today.
Rick's Cabaret currently operates 18 nightclubs in seven states while VCG Holding operates 20 clubs in ten states. The two companies had combined revenues of $131.3 million for the 12 month period ending September 30, 2009.
Eric Langan [pictured], President and CEO of Rick's Cabaret International, said: "The combination of these two companies will result in a powerful operator that we believe would have generated earnings before income tax and depreciation (EBITDA) for the 12 months ended September 30, 2009 of approximately $25.3 million without any of the add-backs we anticipate we will achieve through synergistic cost savings. I am confident that the combined entities can achieve meaningful savings through streamlined management and elimination of duplicate costs associated with being two separate public companies, including lower legal and accounting expenses."
Troy Lowrie, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VCG Holding Corp., said: "We at VCG are very pleased that this merger will create the leading adult entertainment nightclub operator in the United States. There are significant similarities in the companies' cultures and capabilities, and this should ultimately be a great combination for our shareholders, customers, and employees. We believe that the combined company will be better positioned to generate strong financial results and capitalize on future growth opportunities."
Rick's Cabaret International currently operates clubs under the Rick's Cabaret brand in New York City, Las Vegas, Houston, Ft. Worth, Austin, Minneapolis and San Antonio; under the Tootsie's Cabaret brand in Miami; under the XTC Cabaret brand in Austin, Dallas, Houston (two clubs) and San Antonio; under the Club Onyx brand in Houston, Charlotte, Dallas and Philadelphia; and under Cabaret North in Ft. Worth. A Rick's Cabaret in Austin that had been closed temporarily is scheduled to re-open under a new concept next month.
VCG Holding operates Imperial Showgirls in Anaheim; Diamond Cabaret, La Boheme, The Penthouse Club, PT's Showclub, PT's All Nude, all in Denver; PT's Showclub in Colorado Springs, Portland Maine, Louisville and Miami; The Men's Club in Raleigh; PT's Brooklyn, PT's Centreville, PT's Sports, The Penthouse Club and Roxy's, all in East St. Louis, Illinois; Jaguars in Dallas; Jaguars in Ft. Worth; PT's Showclub in Indianapolis; and Schieks Palace Royale in Minneapolis.
"The addition of the PT's Showclub brand and the opportunity to re-brand certain VCG Holding properties as Rick's Cabaret will be a great enhancement to our portfolio," Mr. Langan said.
"Troy Lowrie has built a terrific organization that we expect will fit nicely with ours, giving us new strength in the Midwest and Western states in particular and added market strength in key areas where we both now operate competitively. We are pleased that Troy has agreed to stay on as a consultant."
Under the non-binding (except as to certain provisions, including exclusivity and confidentiality) letter of intent, the companies anticipate a potential merger (structured to qualify as a tax-free reorganization), in which VCG Holding's shareholders will receive shares of Rick's common stock based on certain exchange ratios valuing each share of VCG Holding's common stock between $2.20 and $3.80 per share, determined based on the weighted average closing price of Rick's common stock as traded on the Nasdaq Global Market for the 20 consecutive trading days ending on the second trading day prior to the closing of the Merger. As of February 16, 2010 (and assuming the potential merger were to close on such date and that the weighted average closing price per share of Rick's common stock for the 20 consecutive trading days ending on February 11, 2010 was equal to the closing price of Rick's common stock on February 11, 2010 of $11.76 per share), the value of each share of VCG Holding's common stock under this formula would be $2.66 per share.
In the event the price per share of Rick's common stock as determined by this formula is below $8.00, Rick's may terminate the merger agreement, subject to the payment to VCG Holding of a termination fee to be negotiated by the parties in connection with the preparation of the merger agreement.
Contemporaneously with the merger, Rick's will acquire 5,770,197 shares of VCG Holding common stock held by Troy Lowrie and his affiliates, for cash in an amount equal to the lesser of $2.44 per share or the per share price of common stock received by VCG Holding's shareholders in the proposed merger. Mr. Lowrie may elect to receive shares of Rick's common stock at the same exchange rate received by VCG Holding's shareholders, for up to 30% of his VCG Holding common stock.
In addition, in exchange for additional payments to be made to Mr. Lowrie as detailed in the letter of intent, Mr. Lowrie will refinance (at a lower interest rate) and continue to carry a $5.7 million note from VCG Holding (as acquired by Rick's), continue to personally guarantee certain VCG Holding's obligations in exchange for a fair market value cash payment for such guarantees, sell to Rick's the outstanding capital stock of Club Licensing, Inc., a subsidiary of Lowrie Management, LLLP, sell to Rick's the trademarks "Diamond Cabaret" and "PT's," and enter into a three-year consulting agreement with Rick's.
The Letter of Intent also provides for an exclusivity period through March 12, 2010, during which time VCG Holding and its representatives agree to negotiate exclusively with Rick's, subject to termination and a termination fee payable to Rick's upon VCG Holding's receipt of a "superior proposal" to acquire 20% or more of VCG Holding, by way of a sale of assets, tender offer, merger, consolidation or other business combination, that in the opinion of VCG Holding's financial advisor, is, or is reasonably likely to lead to, a proposal that is more favorable to the shareholders of VCG Holding than the proposed merger. If definitive merger documents are not entered into as of such date, the letter of intent will terminate, unless otherwise extended by the parties. Under the letter of intent, the merger agreement is expected to contain customary representations and warranties including the absence of a material adverse change of Rick's and VCG Holding and other customary closing conditions, including but not limited to, the receipt of material consents, the approval of the merger by the shareholders of Rick's and of VCG Holding, and the effectiveness of a registration statement containing a joint proxy statement/prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on Form S-4 to be filed by Rick's, which, among other things, registers the shares of Rick's common stock to be issued to VCG Holding's shareholders in the merger. There can be no assurance that Rick's and VCG Holding will enter into any definitive transaction agreement, that the entry into a transaction agreement, if any, will result in the closing of any specific transactions, or that the terms of any definitive transaction documents will reflect the terms of the proposed merger as outlined in the letter of intent. A copy of the Letter of Intent has been filed on Form 8-K filed by both companies today with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The definitive merger agreement, if consummated, will include final terms and conditions of the proposed transaction negotiated by the parties, and will be disclosed upon execution.
--on the web |
from www.scienceblog.com - Through a fluke of fate, my website has become a hangout for some amazing people, including men determined to wean themselves from porn. Their efforts have taught me more than I ever wanted to know about this subject. A few years ago one wrote,
I am sure that if a study were actually done with honest men, we would see correlation between porn viewing and erectile dysfunction. The porn industry takes advantage of the uninformed public and makes billions. Then the pharmaceutical companies sell us costly sexual enhancement drugs to treat the side effects—and make billions.
Turns out he wasn't an exception.
I've been looking at Internet pornography since I began college 13 years ago. Around age 24, I noticed difficulty getting aroused with real women. Generic Viagra off the Internet allowed me to have real relationships with few problems until the age of 29. Then, it became increasingly difficult to have real sex, even with the pills.
Realizing my problem, I tried several times to give up porn. The longest I lasted without it was 3 weeks. During this time, I could not get aroused thinking about normal sex, so the frustration built. My only escape was to fall back into the only thing that would arouse me: fantasizing about fetishes I developed when watching porn. Then it was back to porn. I need to be cured of this.
As Internet speed has soared, so has masturbation to videos. They are easily accessible, increasingly extreme—and much more stimulating than Playboys of the past. Alas, most experts are not thinking in terms of "degree of stimulation affecting brain chemistry balance/wiring." They're still thinking of all porn as "nothing more than a masturbation aid," and therefore harmless, or even beneficial. Since Internet videos are such a recent trend, it's possible that the standard thinking simply hasn't had time to catch up with the reality of today's porn and its risks.
The porn/potency connection is surprisingly treacherous. Most men's potency isn't affected by porn...until it is. So the problem seems illusory until it catches up with someone—at which point he tends to mistake hotter porn as the cure. More extreme material further desensitizes his brain. At this juncture, most men clutch at any explanation other than porn use for their symptoms, due to their growing dependency.
Often experts assume shame is the cause of such potency problems, but for many men it's likely that brain chemistry desensitization from heavy stimulation is the culprit. Not only have they been using porn quite contentedly for years, but also, if shame were the cause, the problems would likely show up sooner. Many men experience NO problems until years of heavy porn use have passed. Then there is a further decline as their search for more extreme material escalates. (Shame is not always irrelevant, of course. It can make sexual activity more intensely arousing, thus speeding up the desensitization cycle.)
The good news is that erectile dysfunction brought on by heavy porn use is apparently reversible. The painful part is that the sufferer has to surrender his compulsive porn use—a sacrifice that is surprisingly tough.
Here's what men shared:
After years of porn, I was having trouble with erections. It had been getting worse and worse for a couple years. Needed more and more types of porn stimulation, and it still was not helping. I was really worried, but the anxiety just pushed me deeper into porn. Hard to believe, given the progression. I probably used every type of porn image and vid out there except for one: child porn. What scares me is, could I have gone that route, too, one day?
The more I go without porn, masturbation, fantasy and orgasm, the more difficult it becomes to not get an erection. LOL. No ED problems or weak ejaculations like I had just a few months ago. My body has healed. So, if you stay away from porn and masturbation your sexual desire will go up. It will go up in a good way. Giving it up for just this short period of time has been a big step in healing the damage I did to myself. Now the challenge is to find a partner, or a masturbation interval that works.
--
After a 90-day period of abstinence from porn/masturbation, I noticed that I was more sensitive than before; I didn't need any other stimulation to make me horny. Also the semen leakage stopped. Now that I have returned to some masturbation, I notice that I have been the most interested in women (and have ended up in bed with them) during my experiments with low masturbation frequency.
--
While I was consuming porn and beating off, I had severe performance anxiety when it came to actual sex. That is gone. I have no problem. It is nice to get aroused by little things: a revealing blouse, some innocent cleavage, a summer dress, or just a woman's flowing, shiny hair and fragrance, instead of "Cum Gurgling sluts" video clips.
--
I'm glad this porn-ED issue is becoming more recognized. It's gonna help prevent a lot of problems. I've read things about people being able watch porn occasionally and then still perform with a significant other. However, if they went a long stretch without any type of partner sex, and watched a lot of porn with masturbation, then they had difficulties—difficulties they didn't previously have.
According to psychiatrist Norman Doidge, a heavy porn user is not unlike
like a drug addict who can no longer get high on the images that once turned him on. And the danger is that this tolerance will carry over into relationships, as it did in patients whom I was seeing, leading to potency problems and new, at times unwelcome, tastes. When pornographers boast that they are pushing the envelope by introducing new, harder themes, what they don't say is that they must, because their customers are building up a tolerance to the content. The back pages of men's risque magazines and Internet porn sites are filled with ads for Viagra-type drugs—medicine developed for older men with erectile problems related to aging and blocked blood vessels in the penis. Today young men who surf porn are tremendously fearful of impotence, or "erectile dysfunction" as it is euphemistically called. The misleading term implies that these men have a problem in their penises, but the problem is in their heads. ... It rarely occurs to them that there may be a relationship between the pornography they are consuming and their impotence.
Here's the bit that most men don't know. A period of discomfort or intense horniness during the days of recovery after intense stimulation seems like a sound reason to self-medicate with another porn binge. But doing so actually worsens the problem. If someone climaxes before his brain is back to balance, he's likely to seek out hotter and hotter stimuli. Why? A primitive part of his brain is still temporarily less responsive. This is why regular sex/porn "isn't doing it for him."
Couple in hot tubHotter stimuli produce arousal, but further dysregulate dopamine levels in a key part of his brain. As his hangovers and cravings for hotter relief come to dominate his life, the user can forget what equilibrium felt like. Often he experiences uncharacteristic depression and anxiety—which he won't connect with the changes in his brain brought about by heavy porn use. And because the problem is developing in the brain's wiring, Viagra's temporary fix won't halt the deterioration. (It only addresses blood flow to erections.)
As my visitors discovered, the solution seems to be to stop masturbating to porn. In fact, foregoing masturbation entirely for as long as two months speeds the "unwiring" of the acquired association between arousal and extreme, synthetic erotica. This offers a fresh start, sexually speaking (although the brain is likely to remain very sensitive to porn-related cues indefinitely).
This lengthy, often agonizing, "rebooting" process can be scary. Some men fear their libido will vanish completely. This is not the case. As the brain comes back to balance it tends to become more sensitive and responsive, not less. At first, however, some experience a gray period, during which nothing turns them on because their brains are so desensitized.
As the brain is prevented from pursuing porn-acquired associations, it eventually looks around for other sources of pleasure. It rediscovers the ones it evolved to find: friendly interaction, real mates, time in nature, exercise, accomplishment, and so forth. In fact, many men find exercise particularly beneficial. It improves self-image and eases anxiety and depression while the brain is returning to homeostasis.
Obviously, lots of factors can be at work in performance anxiety. Yet as people learn to regulate their sexual responsiveness to real potential partners using changes in their own behavior, they can more confidently address any other issues contributing to performance anxiety.
--on the web |
from ww.tmz.com - TMZ has learned Tito Ortiz was just arrested for felony domestic violence at the home he shares with Jenna Jameson.
Photo Caption: A privacy fence in October beside the Bare Villa club, previously known as Sugar Bare Lost Dimensions.
GREENSBORO — The city filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday to shut down a strip and nightclub complex where police say strippers have been engaging in prostitution and owners are violating state alcohol laws.
The clubs’ owner said he feels he is being unfairly targeted and looks forward to fighting the case in court.
Following numerous criminal complaints since 2001 and a seven-month undercover police investigation, the city is trying to close Bare Villa nightclub and Nakitas Play House, a strip club, both at 510 Farragut St.
The two clubs, which operate under one roof, are owned by Sugar Bare Entertainment. Until recently, the clubs were known as Lost Dimensions strip club and Bares Den nightclub.
“The message needs to be sent that if you are going to operate a sexually oriented business, you need to follow the guidelines and statute that are set forward,” police Chief Tim Bellamy said.
“Where unlawful acts occur that threaten the health and safety of this community, GPD is committed to acting aggressively to resolve the matter,” Bellamy said.
A judge has issued a temporary restraining order against both the business owner and property owner that prohibits any illegal activity at the clubs until a court hearing Jan. 28.
According to court documents and police officials, clubs at 510 Farragut St. have been the subject of nearly 60 serious police calls since 2001.
Most notably, the club has been the site of two homicides since 2007.
The most recent — the fatal shooting on April 12, 2009, of 30-year-old Carlton Smith — prompted a renewed interest by city leaders to consider closing the club through state nuisance abatement laws.
According to an affidavit, several undercover officers from the Greensboro Police Department and other agencies have visited the club multiple times since July.
In sworn statements, officers detailed sexual acts they witnessed the strippers performing with each other and patrons.
Officers also said the dancers solicited them for sex in special rooms at the clubs.
Officer statements also said they were able to move freely between the Bares Den, which had a valid state ABC license, and Lost Dimensions, the strip club located in the same building, which did not.
By allowing such activity, the owner would be violating state and local laws that govern alcohol sales and sexually oriented businesses.
Darryl McCarroll, the club owner, said the police department’s and the city’s actions are misguided.
“If they noticed something like (these allegations), they could have brought it to our attention earlier,” McCarroll said.
“We investigate things going on in our business, and we ensure we are following the statutes. It’s unfortunate that they had to use taxpayer money with something to try and close us,” McCarroll said, “when they should be trying to help us keep open. Gestapo tactics are in effect.”
The city’s and the police department’s concerns about the clubs aren’t new. In 2007, city leaders discussed a possible nuisance abatement case against the business, but nothing was done after the district attorney’s office declined to pursue the matter, saying that was the city legal department’s job.
The issue resurfaced last spring after Smith’s death. That prompted a presentation from Bellamy and Capt. Chris Walker about problems with the clubs and the unveiling of a plan to clean up crime in the Randleman Road corridor.
Walker said Wednesday that McCarroll has been warned repeatedly to clean up crime at the clubs.
“We did everything that we could over the past year and a half (that I have been over the southern district) to work with them,” Walker said. “If criminal activity is going to continue, we are going to work and put it to a stop.”
Douglas Smith, the father of Carlton Smith, said he supports any action that will help the community.
“I know closing it is not going to bring my son back, but if it could keep another family from what we’re going through ... then yes, it needs to be closed down,” Douglas Smith said.
========
Now businesses in the area r voicin' their joy @ this!
He should have stayed in the background & let his "front men" do the work. Now he's all over the news, thinkin' he can talk his way out of this.
Stay tuned 4 more shit 2 hit than fan...
