Sep.05.2008 Owner of unlicensed “lap dance club” charged with prostitution
When I think of a reputable place filled with classy people, I think of an unlicensed strip club in a dark alleyway of Manhattan. So you can imagine my shock when the owner of such an establishment was charged with prostitution.
A lawyer who operated a New York City lap dance club has been indicted on charges of promoting prostitution and laundering money.
Prosecutors say 52-year-old Louis Posner ran the unlicensed Hot Lap Dance Club in Manhattan and made more than $726,000 there from January through June.
They say he split prostitution fees with some of the club’s dancers, who charged $20 and up for lap dances and up to $5,000 for sex.
Prosecutors say Posner was at the club nightly and sometimes had sex with the dancers.
Posner and his 57-year-old wife also are charged with falsifying business records. Prosecutors say Betty Posner helped hide cash generated by the club.
I guess you’d hope that a lawyer would understand the tremendous illegalities he’s undertaking with this venture, but when you’re a wealthy lawyer, why not set up a club that will make you a shitload of money and provide you with some scandalous stripper hole on the side? I dare say that’s the American dream…at least as presented to me through The Sopranos.
On the plus side, it’s nice to know that places like this still exist. Uh, not to frequent them. Too expensive. I mean, classless. Yes. Classless.
Just because the the lap dance club made a lot of money does not mean that the owner is guilty of any crimes. Ever since the Spitzer story, the prosecutors have been going after everyone, even legitimate strip clubs.