Cabaret shut down

By Denise Dick

A sign in the front door says the business was closed by police because of drug dealing and drug use.

AUSTINTOWN — A Clarkins Drive cabaret embroiled in controversy for several months is shut down, at least temporarily.

Judge Jack Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court issued a temporary restraining order Friday against Go Go Girls Cabaret Inc. and the Economy Inn.

“It’s the first step to shutting it down permanently” as a nuisance, said police Chief Bob Gavalier.

A hearing for a preliminary injunction is set for 9 a.m. May 15 in the common pleas courtroom of Judge Lou A. D’Apolito.

Gavalier said his department — with assistance from the civil division of the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s office, Youngstown office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, Ohio Department of Public Safety’s investigative unit (liquor control) and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation — served the order about 10:40 p.m. Friday on the club and hotel, along with a search warrant.

“We represent the township, and they consulted us on this issue,” said Paul Gains, Mahoning County prosecutor.

He said the Economy Inn also falls under the temporary restraining order as there is access to the hotel from the club.

The court documents list as defendants: Go Go Girls Cabaret, Clarkins Drive Inc. Triple-G Investments Inc., Robert Neill, owner and/or operator of the three companies; Sebastian Rucci, manager and/or operator of the three businesses; Chatur Corp,. doing business as the Economy Inn; and Champak N. Patel, president of Chatur Corp.

Rucci said the company would fight the order, and planned to try to move the case to federal court.

“You don’t take someone’s property without giving them the chance to go to court,” said Rucci, who is an attorney. “That’s Gestapo tactics.”

The alleged drug sales were done by a dancer and her boyfriend, he said. The club wasn’t complicit in it.

“On any given night, there are over 50 people here — 36 dancers, security guards — one person sold drugs,” Rucci said.

He believes it’s retaliation from the township for other problems including lighting and signage at the club.

“This time it’s going to cost someone money,” Rucci said. “Someone is going to have to pay for this.”

Neither Neill nor Patel could be reached.

Windows of the club are now covered with paper or boards, and the satellite dish emblazoned with a neon picture of a woman’s face is covered with a blue tarp.

A sign in the front door says, “Warning. No Trespassing, Property Closed. Operation Crackdown.” It says the business was closed by police because of drug dealing and drug use.

Arrests were made of some people inside the club.

Stephanie A. McCourt, 20, of Canfield, is charged with obstructing official business. She is accused of giving police a false name. There also were warrants for her arrest in both Mahoning and Trumbull counties. One of those is for falsification from Austintown.

Derrick L. Dozier, 26, of Struthers, was arrested on a theft warrant from Liberty police. Three of those arrested had warrants related to previous incidents at the club.

Shannon E. Graves, 20, of Struthers, was arrested on a warrant charging trafficking in crack; William A. Watt, 25, of Girard, was picked up on a warrant alleging trafficking in cocaine and heroin; and Stephanie M. Yash, 24, of Girard, was arrest on a warrant for trafficking in heroin and crack.

Charges are pending against two others from whom drugs were confiscated Friday night.

Gavalier said police had received complaints from both residents and patrons of illegal activities occurring at the club.

“They made controlled buys there of heroin and cocaine,” Gains said.

The court documents said those buys were made by a confidential informant within the last few months at both the club and the hotel.

Those two addresses have a “general reputation for felony drug transactions occurring there,” it says. “Continued illegal drug sales from both premises” will cause “immediate and irreparable harm to the surrounding community and constitute exigent circumstances...”

ODPS has made arrests for alcohol consumption and possession by underage individuals and also has issued a citation to the liquor permit holder for after-hours consumption, the order says.

The fire department has charged and convicted Neill for criminal fire code violations, it adds.

Police and township trustees have received many complaints from residents “related to the signage, advertising, use of sky spotlights, drug sales, fighting, prostitution, illegal occupants of the hotel and complaints about the believed invalidity of the liquor license because the hotel is not operating; all of which indicate the premises have a general reputation for criminal behavior and are nuisances to the community,” the temporary restraining order says.

denise_dick@vindy.com