Franklin strip club, employees indicted on 23 charges

A Warren County grand jury has handed down 23 charges against Franklin strip club as well as two managers and a dancer.

Prosecutor David Fornshell said the club New York, New York, as well as Michael Lee Reese, 37, of Miamisburg; Courtney A. Rogers, 25, of Springfield; and Mark G. Butterfield III, 27, of Cincinnati; were indicted on misdemeanor and felony charges.

The charges arise from a joint investigation involving law enforcement officers from Franklin police, the Ohio Investigative Unit, and the Warren County Drug Task Force.

MORE: Franklin strip club charged with drug sales, improper conduct

“Although there have been strong suspicions for several years, through this investigation, law enforcement officers were able to directly observe significant drug trafficking and other illegal activity at New York, New York strip club. On one occasion, several customers were at the club waiting to buy cocaine,” Fornshell said.

An employee at the club Thursday afternoon declined to comment. It appeared workers were showing up for their shifts tonight.

The indictments included:

  • N.Y.N.Y., Inc., doing business as New York, New York, was indicted for two counts of trafficking in cocaine and four counts of permitting drug abuse, all fifth-degree felonies; and illegally operating a sexually oriented business, a first-degree misdemeanor.
  • Reese was indicted for two counts of trafficking in cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine, and three counts of permitting drug abuse, all fifth-degree felonies; and illegally operating a sexually oriented business, a first-degree misdemeanor.
  • Rogers was indicted for four counts of trafficking in cocaine and three counts of possession of cocaine, all fifth-degree felonies.
  • Butterfield was indicted for permitting drug abuse; a fifth-degree felony.

In December 2016, plain-clothes law enforcement officers began an investigation into reported drug trafficking activity at New York, New York strip club in Franklin. On multiple occasions, officers observed Reese, the night manager at New York, New York, provide cocaine to Rogers, a dancer with the stage name “Giselle,” who in turn sold the cocaine to customers. At least one drug trafficking transaction occurred directly in front of Butterfield, the day manager at

New York, New York. Reese and N.Y.N.Y., Inc. were also charged with misdemeanor counts for permitting nude dancing in the establishment after midnight in violation of Ohio law.

Also as part of this same investigation, two other dancers at New York, New York – Allison “Cash” Hindy, 24, of Point Pleasant, W.Va., and Brandi “Camden” Hatter, 21, of Franklin, were previously charged with prostitution for engaging in sexual activity for hire while working on the premises. Earlier this year, Hindy and Hatter both pled guilty in Franklin Municipal Court.

N.Y.N.Y., Inc., Reese, Rogers, and Butterfield have not been scheduled for arraignment yet in Warren County Common Pleas Court, Fornshell said.

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