Sun Sentinel Atricle - Drug sweep at S. Florida nightcl

[sobe2003]

From www.sunsentinel.com

No mention of S34 . . .

Drug sweep at S. Florida nightclubs results in 17 arrests

By Kevin Smith

Staff Writer

Posted August 18 2003

Federal agents and Broward Sheriff's Office deputies made 17 arrests in a three-day drug sweep touching on nine South Florida nightclubs, officials said Sunday.

In each arrest, the drug buy either took place was arranged at a club.

While some of those arrested faced charges on cocaine, crack or marijuana distribution, most of the arrests involved the drug ecstasy.

Fourteen of those arrested will make appearances in federal court this morning, while three people appear in court Friday morning.

"It's been a growing problem nationally, and this was just an opportune time to take some action," said Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Leljedal.

"We found predatory drugs at various nightclubs," said Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Joe Kilmer. "The majority of the buys were made by DEA undercover agents, and quite a few were made by Broward sheriff's officers."

Leljedal and Kilmer stressed the investigation did not target the clubs, many of which offer adult entertainment, but ecstasy's status as a party drug makes it popular in social settings.

"It seems to proliferate in these clubs," Leljedal said. People "believe it's relatively harmless, but that's what we were hearing about cocaine 20 years ago."

The sweep began Thursday evening and continued into early Sunday morning, Kilmer said.

Some of those arrested frequented the clubs, which included Bada Bing, Synn City, the Port Hole Pub and The Forum in Pompano Beach, Ebar in Fort Lauderdale, and Goldrush in Miami.

Some of those arrested also worked at the clubs.

The monthlong investigation stemmed from information developed from people visiting or working at the clubs, Kilmer said.

Eleven indictments were handed down and unsealed as the arrests were made, while six of those arrested had not yet been indicted.

Kevin Smith can be reached

at kssmith@sun-sentinel.com

or 954-572-2009.

Copyright © 2003, South Florida

[funketeer]

Now...this article is very poorly written...yuk!!!

[fliptoniaaa]

must be quota time of the year for the d.e.a.

[mursa]

I always had a feeling that the Bathroom stall guy was selling more than lolli pops and candycanes .

[fliptoniaaa]

Originally posted by mursa

I always had a feeling that the Bathroom stall guy was selling more than lolli pops and candycanes .

:laugh:

[xxgrooveericxx]

Originally posted by funketeer

Now...this article is very poorly written...yuk!!!

The SunSentinal...need we say more?

[sobe2003]

Ecstasy drug busts net dozens of arrests in S. Florida clubs

By Ann W. O'Neill and Diana Marrero

Staff Writers

Posted August 19 2003

Undercover investigations in Broward and Miami-Dade counties resulted in dozens of arrests during the weekend, federal authorities said, leaving little doubt that in some South Florida nightspots, buying the party drug ecstasy is almost as easy as ordering a cosmopolitan.

A two-year investigation at the hot downtown Miami nightclub Space 34 resulted in 16 indictments, which were unsealed Monday in federal court in Miami. Eleven people have been arrested, including two club employees and two former employees.

In Broward County, it took only six weeks for undercover agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Broward Sheriff's Office to buy 1,666 tablets of ecstasy at nine clubs, said DEA spokesman Joe Kilmer. Eleven indictments were unsealed and a total of 17 arrests were made.

"I would like to think that toilets were flushing all over South Florida," with other dealers dumping their supply as news of the sweeps spread, Kilmer said.

The two investigations were unrelated but show that at $20 to $30 per tablet, ecstasy is "readily available" in South Florida, and that its use has reached "epidemic" proportions, Kilmer said. A so-called designer drug also known as MDMA, ecstasy has hallucinogenic and stimulant qualities that can make a user feel more friendly and sexual.

The Broward investigation, launched after what Kilmer called numerous "citizen complaints," was dubbed "Operation Baile," using the Spanish word for "dance."

The Miami arrests came after authorities received numerous reports, including from their own undercover officers, that ecstasy dealing was rampant at Space 34, one of the largest clubs in the state. With more than 25,000 square feet of space, the nightclub can be filled with more than 2,000 pulsating bodies on any given night. "That's the place you kept hearing about, to the point that it was embarrassing," Kilmer said. "We had to do something about it."

The Miami investigation was two years in the making, and resulted in the purchase of about 50 ecstasy tablets, authorities said. But in the Broward cases, the agents went into the clubs cold and, even without the usual introduction by an informant, were almost immediately approached by eager ecstasy dealers. Within a short time, Kilmer added, the agents were making multiple buys for increasing amounts.

About a dozen people pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. Six others were charged in criminal complaints as a result of the sweep, which targeted dealers at five clubs in Pompano Beach -- Bada Bing, Synn City, the Port Hole Pub, the Body Shop and The Forum -- Ebar in Fort Lauderdale, The Coliseum in Oakland Park, Cheetah in Hallandale and Gold Rush in Miami.

Kilmer stressed that the investigation in no way implicated the Broward club owners and managers. Rather, patrons and some employees used the clubs as a base for their dealing.

"I had no idea," said Anthony Spota, owner of Synn City, which he described as a "sports cabaret." He added, "I try to run a clean establishment. My patrons come in for the alcohol. They aren't the ecstasy crowd."

Spota said he didn't know Ivy Lee Grooms, 33, and Addington K. Braynen, 35, both of Pompano Beach, who are accused of selling 80 ecstasy tablets to undercover agents they encountered at Synn City. He said his club was never raided or shut down.

Although the DEA targeted Gold Rush, a club in Miami, the two men arrested, Lazaro Garcia, 30, and Daniel Cedeno, 33, actually worked as valet attendants at an adjacent parking lot, Kilmer said.

But Michelle Stephanie Hamilton, 28, worked as a dancer at the Bada Bing club, where the undercover agents lined up the purchase of 26 ecstasy tablets, Kilmer said. Hamilton appeared in court Monday dressed in high platform flip-flops, a short, tight skirt, and a pink blouse secured by a strategically placed button or two. She pleaded not guilty and was freed on $50,000 bail.

The biggest buy occurred at Pompano's Port Hole Pub. There, the undercover agents purchased 100 ecstasy tablets, and set up a 1,000-tablet buy for Friday. After the sting, three people were arrested: Astika Barolli, 23, of Dania Beach; Kyle Juhren, 19, of Boca Raton; and Jason Robyor, 22, of Boca Raton. Barolli was identified as an employee.

At The Forum, two of the suspects -- Roy "Rico" McDonald, 23, of Pompano Beach, and Bruce K. McEachern, 20, of Hollywood, were patrons who seemed to have full run of the bar. "It was as if they worked there," Kilmer said.

Three other people -- Maurice Wiggins, 32, of Pompano Beach; Robert Santoro, 38, of Boca Raton, and Diane Cavanaugh, 22, of Hollywood -- also were charged in connection with alleged ecstasy deals at The Forum, where agents purchased 83 tablets. Wiggins and Cavanaugh were identified as employees.

Agents allegedly purchased 250 ecstasy tablets at Cheetah, resulting in charges against Pamela Diz, 27, of Deerfield Beach, and Douglas Duhaney, 30, of Hollywood. Jerry Andrew Dillman, 29, of Fort Lauderdale, allegedly sold seven tablets to the undercover agents at E-bar, and Leonard Augello, 50, was accused of selling the agents 100 tablets at Coliseum.

In the Miami case, authorities were slower to absolve club management of responsibility. "When you have employees, that puts a whole new dimension on it, and that may be, in effect, part of the ongoing investigation," Kilmer said.

The defendants all worked at, used to work at, or patronized Space 34, which used to be known as Club Space. The U.S. Attorney's Office identified the people indicted as Johannes Bellingrodt, Hector Rafael Constanza, George Anthony Bailey, Edward Torres, Dennis Torres, Syed Raheel Bukhari, Anibal Solivan, Carlos Cardona, Kevin Esteban Olivera, Yamile Del Rocio Alvear, and Rene Garcia. Further details were unavailable.

[funketeer]

Originally posted by xxgrooveericxx

The SunSentinal...need we say more?

Talk about writing an article on drugs

[conchman]

"I would like to think that toilets were flushing all over South Florida," with other dealers dumping their supply as news of the sweeps spread, Kilmer said.

Oh yeah, suuuuuuuuuuuuure they were.

Shows you how out of touch these people are.

[cheekeetika]

Originally posted by sobe2003

From www.sunsentinel.com

No mention of S34 . . .

Drug sweep at S. Florida nightclubs results in 17 arrests

By Kevin Smith

Staff Writer

Posted August 18 2003

Federal agents and Broward Sheriff's Office deputies made 17 arrests in a three-day drug sweep touching on nine South Florida nightclubs, officials said Sunday.

In each arrest, the drug buy either took place was arranged at a club.

While some of those arrested faced charges on cocaine, crack or marijuana distribution, most of the arrests involved the drug ecstasy.

Fourteen of those arrested will make appearances in federal court this morning, while three people appear in court Friday morning.

"It's been a growing problem nationally, and this was just an opportune time to take some action," said Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Leljedal.

"We found predatory drugs at various nightclubs," said Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Joe Kilmer. "The majority of the buys were made by DEA undercover agents, and quite a few were made by Broward sheriff's officers."

Leljedal and Kilmer stressed the investigation did not target the clubs, many of which offer adult entertainment, but ecstasy's status as a party drug makes it popular in social settings.

"It seems to proliferate in these clubs," Leljedal said. People "believe it's relatively harmless, but that's what we were hearing about cocaine 20 years ago."

The sweep began Thursday evening and continued into early Sunday morning, Kilmer said.

Some of those arrested frequented the clubs, which included Bada Bing, Synn City, the Port Hole Pub and The Forum in Pompano Beach, Ebar in Fort Lauderdale, and Goldrush in Miami.

Some of those arrested also worked at the clubs.

The monthlong investigation stemmed from information developed from people visiting or working at the clubs, Kilmer said.

Eleven indictments were handed down and unsealed as the arrests were made, while six of those arrested had not yet been indicted.

Kevin Smith can be reached

at kssmith@sun-sentinel.com

or 954-572-2009.

Copyright © 2003, South Florida

Sorry but if you click on the link and read the article they make mention of CLub Space and Space 34...its all there in black and white...re-read it and you'll see. This sucks!

[sobe2003]

Originally posted by cheekeetika

Sorry but if you click on the link and read the article they make mention of CLub Space and Space 34...its all there in black and white...re-read it and you'll see. This sucks!

The first article did not go into the detail as the second one. The second article does go into much more detail.

The problem Space has is . . .

"In the Miami case, authorities were slower to absolve club management of responsibility. "When you have employees, that puts a whole new dimension on it, and that may be, in effect, part of the ongoing investigation," Kilmer said.

The defendants all worked at, used to work at, or patronized Space 34, which used to be known as Club Space. The U.S. Attorney's Office identified the people indicted as Johannes Bellingrodt, Hector Rafael Constanza, George Anthony Bailey, Edward Torres, Dennis Torres, Syed Raheel Bukhari, Anibal Solivan, Carlos Cardona, Kevin Esteban Olivera, Yamile Del Rocio Alvear, and Rene Garcia. Further details were unavailable."

[funketeer]

Originally posted by conchman

"I would like to think that toilets were flushing all over South Florida," with other dealers dumping their supply as news of the sweeps spread, Kilmer said.

Oh yeah, suuuuuuuuuuuuure they were.

Shows you how out of touch these people are.

Just like the movies