tuscl

Shocking news--ESL strip club owner charged with federal drug crimes

Saturday, June 2, 2007 10:05 AM
From the Belleville (IL) News-Democrat: Posted on Sat, Jun. 02, 2007 Washington Park club owner appears on meth charges Alleged conspiracy may involve others BY BETH HUNDSDORFER News-Democrat A Washington Park club and business owner made an initial appearance in court Friday on federal conspiracy charges in connection with a methamphetamine ring that operated in Madison, St. Clair, Monroe and other counties. Scott Thorburg, 36, of 9685 Ridge Heights Road in Fairview Heights, was charged with one count of conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine in Madison, Monroe, St. Clair and other counties in southern Illinois after a joint investigation by the St. Clair County Drug Tactical Unit and Drug Enforcement Agency, said Thomas Trice, head of the tactical unit. He was arrested Thursday and could not be reached for comment. "The investigation is ongoing, and multiple suspects are expected to be indicted in the conspiracy," Trice said. Thorburg, who owns the Chameleon Club and Davis Towing in Washington Park, was arrested at 10:30 p.m. after drug agents, who were conducting surveillance on another suspect, identified Thorburg. The conspiracy began in the summer of 2003 and continued until May, moving more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, according to the indictment that was filed under seal May 24. Thorburg appeared in federal court Friday before U.S. District Judge Donald Wilkerson, who released him on his own recognizance on condition that he not travel outside of the metro area without permission, avoid contact with other defendants, witnesses or victims in his case, refrain from alcohol or drug use and submit to drug testing. The former owner of the Chameleon Club and Davis Towing, Tommie Davis, also faced legal troubles when he was indicted for faking disability claims. Davis was sentenced in May 2004 to six months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $28,940 and a $10,000 fine. Davis claimed he couldn't work for more than 10 years because of a back injury and collected disability checks beginning in July 1989. Ten years later, Davis claimed he injured his back doing construction work. Two years later, insurance records showed Davis claimed he was injured moving his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. On his mortgage application, Davis stated he earned $48,000 from Davis Towing and $70,000 a year from the Chameleon Club. Davis battled then-mayor Sherman Sorrell after Sorrell claimed the Chameleon Club was a front for prostitution, asking patrons to pay $25 to rent a towel and enter a "couples only" room.

8 comments

  • ThisOldManPlayed1
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    17 years ago
    HAH! Not surprising. Why these club owners continue to deal with drugs (if proven and convicted of course)I'll never understand, other than the greed for more money. Why can't anyone open a club with a big sign stating: "NO DRUGS - NO PROSTITUTION ---- JUST BOOBS & BUTTS ???
  • Book Guy
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    17 years ago
    false advertising ... :)
  • chitownlawyer
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    17 years ago
    Let's not go overboard, here, Bones--I would think that a sign saying: "No drugs--Just boobs and butts" would be sufficient. Note that our hero did not get into any trouble for prostitution--although that club is said to be pretty much a whorehouse (I hear--I truthfully have never been there, although I have driven past there to get to Dollies' Playhouse, about six blocks away) I have always maintained that drugs, not sex, is what gets clubs in trouble with the law, although the recent experience of Platinum Plus--Memphis shows that this rule is not absolute. About six years ago, a club in Brooklyn, IL (E. St. Louis area) was nailed because of sex..the proprietor was convicted of failure to report income for purposes of the federal income tax..that is, the income he derived from prostitution (if it worked for Al Capone, it could, and did, work for Everett Baker and the "Soft Touch Adult Spa.") The hilarious thing was that the US Attorney's Office subpoened the trial testimony of several local county prosecutors, and their office's investigator, who had been hosted at that club by a local criminal defense attorney for free-wheeling, no-hold's-barred "perversion excursions" at Christmas time. At least one marriage broke up over that incident.
  • Book Guy
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    17 years ago
    I had understood that PP in Memphis did indeed have a lot of drug traffic. One dancer explained to me, that the girls who had drug-suggestive names were simply advertising that they would sell the stuff or find someone to sell it to you. So, supposedly, at Platinum Plus in Memphis, Ecstasy the dancer sold Ex; Snow sold cocaine; Mary Jane sold marijuana; Bubbles and Pebbles and Candy sold some kind of phen-phen in small M&M-sized pills; etc. So I heard. I haven't ever done drugs, except mild excursions into marijuana in grad school, and one weird night on acid with the theater crowd after a strike party. Didn't like it. Anyway, I have a bad enough time with sex, alcohol, and tobacco!
  • DandyDan
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    17 years ago
    I am absolutely not surprised, some club owners are just that stupid, and the police in this country obsess over drugs far more than is psychologically healthy, so naturally, they will nail somebody. One of the club owners in my area got sentenced to jailtime for being in possession of marijuana, the amazing thing being it was out in the open, and not in some backroom.
  • chandler
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    17 years ago
    Does Tommie Davis sound like a Carl Hiaasen character, or what? Between this pack and that Dr. Loan story Chitown posted a while back about the guy putting out a contract on his ATF, you could have the makings of a great comic crime novel with hardly any editing.
  • someyoungguysomeyoungguy
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    17 years ago
    Does anyone know if the Chameleon is now closed as a result?
  • arbeeguy
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    17 years ago
    No, Chameleon Club is NOT closed. It's going great. It was remodeled. The place next door, C-Mowes is rebuilding. The girls aren't all that great looking, but they are real girls and they do like to entertain guys in the best possible ways. Whatevere happens at Chameleon Club stays at Chameleon Club of course, but it is safe to say that the operation has the tacit approval of the mayor, the city council, and the police department. Personally I think there should be a lot more places all over the country which operate in much the same way as Chameleon Club (and Vic's Place in Irvington NJ) do. After all, we ARE consenting adults.
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