A Warren County grand jury has handed down 23 charges against a Franklin strip club as well as two managers and a dancer.
Prosecutor David Fornshell said the club, New York, New York, as well as Michael Lee Reese, 37, of Miamisburg; Courtney A. Rogers, 25, of Springfield; and Mark G. Butterfield III, 27, of Cincinnati; were indicted on misdemeanor and felony charges.
The charges included:
- N.Y.N.Y., Inc., doing business as New York, New York, was indicted for two counts of trafficking in cocaine and four counts of permitting drug abuse, all fifth-degree felonies; and illegally operating a sexually oriented business, a first-degree misdemeanor.
- Reese was indicted for two counts of trafficking in cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine, and three counts of permitting drug abuse, all fifth-degree felonies; and illegally operating a sexually oriented business, a first-degree misdemeanor.
- Rogers was indicted for four counts of trafficking in cocaine and three counts of possession of cocaine, all fifth-degree felonies.
- Butterfield was indicted for permitting drug abuse; a fifth-degree felony.
The indictment arises from a joint investigation involving law enforcement officers from Franklin police, the Ohio Investigative Unit and the Warren County Drug Task Force.
“Although there have been strong suspicions for several years, through this investigation, law enforcement officers were able to directly observe significant drug trafficking and other illegal activity at New York, New York strip club. On one occasion, several customers were at the club waiting to buy cocaine,” Fornshell said.
An employee at the club Thursday afternoon declined to comment. It appeared workers were showing up for their shifts.
In December 2016, plain-clothes law enforcement officers began an investigation into reported drug trafficking activity at New York, New York strip club in Franklin. On multiple occasions, officers observed Reese, the night manager at the club, provide cocaine to Rogers, a dancer with the stage name “Giselle.” She would then sell the cocaine to customers. At least one drug trafficking transaction occurred directly in front of Butterfield, the day manager. Reese and N.Y.N.Y., Inc. were also charged with misdemeanor counts for permitting nude dancing after midnight in violation of Ohio law.
Also as part of the investigation, two other dancers at New York, New York – Allison “Cash” Hindy, 24, of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Brandi “Camden” Hatter, 21, of Franklin, were previously charged with prostitution for engaging in sexual activity for hire while working on the premises. Earlier this year, Hindy and Hatter both pleaded guilty in Franklin Municipal Court.
N.Y. N.Y., Inc., Reese, Rogers, and Butterfield have not been scheduled for arraignment yet in Warren County Common Pleas Court, Fornshell said.
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