Posted on 11/02/2025 12:16:24 PM PST by Libloather
A group of strip club executives allegedly bribed a New York state tax auditor with cash, luxury Florida trips and lap dances worth thousands of dollars a day to slash millions from their tax bills, according to a sweeping indictment by Attorney General Letitia James.
The 79-count indictment accuses top leaders of RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc., the Texas-based parent company behind strip clubs Rick’s Cabaret, Vivid Cabaret and Hoops Cabaret, of using their venues to disguise bribes as "promotional" expenses and avoid more than $8 million in sales taxes between 2010 and 2024.
Prosecutors say the auditor received at least 13 all-expenses-paid trips to Florida, where the company’s top leadership was allegedly given hotel rooms, restaurant meals and up to $5,000 per day for private dances at RCI-owned clubs.
Federal defense attorney Ronald Chapman II said the allegations, while "sensational," may not prove criminal intent once tested in court.
"When you look a little deeper, things start to look a little bit different," Chapman told Fox News Digital. "This case reminds me of the [President] Trump financial-fraud case, where prosecutors in New York built a sweeping narrative around business judgments that may not actually violate the law."
Chapman said prosecutors face an uphill battle to prove a quid pro quo and that the auditor’s decisions were directly influenced by the perks.
"It only turns into bribery when that is also done consistent with bad conduct, looking the other way on something," he said. "I just don’t see that other side of the quid pro quo yet."
He also questioned the timing of the charges, pointing to the embattled attorney general.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
there was once a very gaudy and well-known strip and lap dance club in a big city.
the mayor sent the cops in to collect evidence of any lawbreaking or consumer ripoffs (so to speak)
the cops loved those assignments. Instead of having to spend their own money on their days off to go there, the cops could spend the entire work week enjoying the place (and the ‘personal hostesses’) on the taxpayers’ dime.
The cops spent months and months “investigating” in the club, paying (I am told) particularly close attention to how the lap dances were conducted. Reports were that they felt really good about the lap dances...
Eventually, the gig had to end ... the cops held one last “investigation” party in the club.... nothing was ever done as a result of the $$$ expensive lengthy (calendar-wise, anyway) investigation
the place eventually closed due to a drop (so to speak) in patronage from Covid.
I'm shocked: Democrats corrupting.
Send an ugly and bitter female auditor next time.
Is that a fancy title for mobsters?
Fugetaboutit.
Whatever it takes
I’m shocked to find out strip club owners acting so seedy and selling sex.
They’re normally such good, honest, upright people.
Pretty sure Mike Pence owns one, in fact.
(Sarcasm. Except about Pence.)
“ Is that a fancy title for mobsters?”
They prefer the term “thick necked Americans”.
I’m surprised that in NYC they werent gay.
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