Five Bourbon Street-area strip clubs and bars had their alcohol permits temporarily pulled after a month-long undercover investigation found drug and prostitution violations, state authorities announced Tuesday (Oct. 27).
The venues, located on Bourbon and along Iberville streets, include strip clubs like Centerfolds and Lipstixx, as well as some bars. Officials said their alcohol licenses were suspended, effective Tuesday.
Seven additional clubs and bars might also face emergency suspensions of their alcohol permits, ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert said.
Agents with the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, along with the Louisiana State Police, said the venues targeted by "Operation Trick or Treat" could also face drug-related, prostitution and "lewd acts" charges.
These five venues had their permits suspended on the following violations, officials said:
• Centerfolds Fais Deaux Deaux, 411 Bourbon St., on five counts of prostitution, three drug violations and two counts of lewd/improper acts. It is owned by The House of the Rising Sun of Bourbon St. Inc.
• Lipstixx/Fais Deaux Deau, 420 Bourbon St., on three counts of prostitution, three drug-related violations and three counts of lewd/improper acts. It is owned by Platinum Bourbon Inc.
• The Mansion on Bourbon, 416 Bourbon St. on six counts of prostitution, two drug-related violations and five counts of lewd/improper acts. It is owned by Silver Bourbon Inc.
• Chez Joey, 608 Iberville St., on three counts of prostitution, five drug-related violations and two counts of lewd/improper acts. It is owned by Iberville Ladies LLC.
• Dixie Divas, 606 Iberville St., on four counts of prostitution, three drug-related violations and one count of lewd/improper acts. It is owned by Off Bourbon Inc.
Messages left via listed phone numbers of Centerfolds, Lipstixx, The Mansion on Bourbon and Dixie Divas were not immediately returned.
A man who identified himself as Ernie, reached at an Ohio-area number listed for Chez Joey, said he had no comment but added the club was still "looking into everything" themselves. Then he hung up.
Officials didn't name the seven additional venues that may have their license suspended.
Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson said authorities are pursuing criminal charges against the five named venues and others, but the agency is still working to build those cases.
Hebert said the ATC used its power to take action Tuesday to stop the violations from occurring ahead of the tourist-heavy Halloween weekend.
"If something bad happens in those (clubs) and we have been sitting on this information, we'd be responsible," Hebert explained. It also sends a message to the businesses, Hebert said.
"We know about this, and we're not going to tolerate this," he said.
The investigation began the New Orleans Police Department's 8th District, which includes the French Quarter, forwarded tips of violations to State Police. Many of the information NOPD gathered came from other law-abiding Bourbon Street area club owners and workers, officials said.
The owners of the suspended clubs will face an administrative hearing regarding the suspensions within about a month, Hebert said, at which time they can dispute the violations. The result could be fines, a longer suspension, or revoked permits. The clubs have an opportunity to appeal the administrative hearing findings to state courts.
While ATC can't shut down the businesses, Hebert said pulling the permits may inevitably halt their operations, or at least the success of them.
"A strip joint without alcohol is kind of like a beach without sand, I don't know who's going," he said. "We can't shut them down, but we can certainly stop them from selling alcohol.
Not brilliant! I went to place that actually had hookers and I got ripped off?