Police say prostitution was going on in four Tampa clubs and the six men knew about it.
By TAMARA LUSH
Published December 24, 2003
TAMPA - During undercover police stings at nude clubs in the city, women dancers are usually the ones arrested.
Sometimes they violate the city's so-called "6-foot rule," meaning they give a patron or undercover cop an up-close lap dance. Other times, the women are arrested for prostitution.
But during a sweep Monday of four nude clubs in the city, no women dancers were arrested - only their bosses.
Six men - including the executive director of operations for a national chain of adult entertainment clubs that operated the clubs - were arrested. Five were charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. All were charged with aiding or abetting prostitution.
"We're taking a different approach," said Capt. Paul Driscoll of the Tampa Police Department. "In the past, we've targeted the prostitutes. Now, we're targeting the management."
None of the clubs have been shut down in the wake of the arrests.
Police maintain that the club managers and security guards who were charged knew prostitution was going on.
"It was the wholesale sale of sex," said John Sluckis, an undercover officer who helped make the case against the six men.
"It was quite blatant," said Dale Tuvell, another undercover detective. "You walked in and it was going on."
Attorneys Luke Lirot, Frank de la Grana and Scott Boardman represent five of the six men. Lirot said the managers and guards had no idea what was going on. Police are "trying to impute some kind of knowledge of this activity to the managers of the clubs," Lirot said.
Some of the women at these clubs were arrested in the past year on prostitution charges. Lirot said many of those cases have already been resolved in court.
He also said some of the cases hinge on a "verbal agreement" of sex between an undercover officer and a dancer that is merely fantasy talk between adults.
"It is the overall theatrical environment of the dance experience," he said.
Arrested on assorted charges were:
Brian Rouleau, 58, executive director of operations for Galardi South Enterprises. He was charged with one RICO violation and 10 counts of aiding or abetting prostitution.
Billy Holland, 31, manager of Gold Rush. Charged with one RICO violation, 11 counts of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, and four counts of aiding or abetting prostitution.
Glynn Coon, 40, manager of Pony Tails. Charged with one RICO violation, one count of maintaining or operating a place for the purpose of prostitution and two counts of aiding or abetting prostitution.
Gokmen Meyrili, 28, security for Galardi South Enterprises. He was not charged under the racketeer act. Charged with one count of aiding or abetting prostitution.
Aaron Hefte, 29, night manager for the Pink Pony. Charged with one RICO violation and three counts of aiding and abetting prostitution.
Dewayne Levesque, 49, manager of the Pink Pony. Charged with one RICO violation, three counts of aiding or abetting prostitution, and one count of maintaining or operating a place for the purpose of prostitution.
All of the men were booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and released on bail.
The lawyer for Galardi South Enterprises - the Atlanta-based company that owns all four clubs - said the company is doing an investigation of its own.
"Due to the nature of the allegations, we're extremely concerned," said Suzanne Coe. "We will be doing a thorough investigation, and we want to take appropriate action."
The company owns adult entertainment clubs in several states. According to an Associated Press article that ran in the Reno Gazette Journal in August, the owners of the company - Jack and Michael Galardi, father and son - were swept up in a political corruption and bribery probe in Las Vegas and San Diego.
No arrests have been made and no indictments issued in that matter. But federal investigators have presented evidence to grand juries in both cities. Lawyers for the two men denied wrongdoing.
