What happened at the Liquor Board on June 11, 2015.

Mr. Chandler testified that he is 19 years old and that he was volunteering with the Greenmount Oliver Community Association. No one asked him for identification, and the clerk sold him a 40 ounce Steel Reserve.

Mr. Shelton Jones testified that, normally, the office policy is to have the report signed, but this particular report was not signed.

The Chairman found that a violation of the law had occurred and moved on to the punishment phase of the hearing.

Hurdle informed the Board that the licensee’s sister, not the licensee, was behind the register at the time of the violation. Since the violation, the licensees have changed their procedures to require ID for anyone who looks under 30 years old. They have gone through an alcohol management class and have put signs out telling the customers to display ID. Mr. James Filipidis, the alcohol awareness instructor who did the training for the licensees, testified that they went through the training and read a description of the topics covered in the class. The licensees have owned this business for eight years. Commissioner Moore asked when they completed the updated class, and the licensee’s son replied that they had just done it two days before the hearing.

The licensee did not deny that the events, as stated by the Liquor Board inspectors, had occurred, which the commissioners took to be an admission of responsibility. The commissioners then heard from the community members present.

13th District City Councilman Warren Branch presented a letter on behalf of his office, in support of the community association’s position. As a lifelong resident of the community, Branch said that he had personally witnessed a great deal of loitering in front of the business as well as other illegal activity. When the Board suspended this license last year, there was a “transformation” in the community. Branch testified that they had been closed for two months under the suspension, while the Board’s notes show that the licensee served only two weeks of a 90-day suspension, because the Circuit Court issued an emergency stay of the suspension pending the appeal.

Mr. Julius Henson, President of the Berea Eastside Community Association, testified in support of a significant punishment for the establishment. Henson reiterated Councilman Branch’s observation that the corner was transformed, “so clean and so beautiful,” when the business was shut down briefly. Henson submitted several photographs from the previous day of loitering and what he testified to be drug hiding and selling. He said that people buy and sell drugs and loose cigarettes in and around the store.

In mitigation, the licensee told the commissioners that he had been closed for a few weeks due to the unrest in May and had been reopened for two weeks when the violation occurred. Since the incident, he has instructed his employees on how to check IDs and has put up more signs around the store.

Violation of Adult Entertainment Rule 5(b): Prohibited Touching– January 28, 2015; February 12, 2015; February 21, 2015 – On all of these aforementioned dates, Det. Gatto observed Ms. Caitlin Moorhead and Ms. Katelyn Price performing overt sexual acts – which necessitated mutual touching of the other by both Ms. Moorhead and Ms. Price – on each other while dancing at the establishment known as Fantasies” located at 5220 Pennington Avenue in Baltimore City. Both Ms. Moorhead and Ms. Price were employees of the establishment at the time and were performing said acts both in public and private while working at the establishment.

Violation of Adult Entertainment Rule 6: Prohibited Conduct on the Premises– January 28, 2015; February 12, 2015; February 21, 2015 – On all of these aforementioned dates, Det. Gatto observed Ms. Caitlin Moorhead and Ms. Katelyn Price performing overt sexual acts on each other while dancing at the establishment known as Fantasies” located at 5220 Pennington Avenue in Baltimore City. Both Ms. Moorhead and Ms. Price were employees of the establishment at the time and were performing said acts both in public and private while working at the establishment.

Mr. Phillip Chong, of Duane Morris LLP, represented the licensees before the Board. He called the two dancers to testify, who both said that they were simulating sex acts but not actually performing them. The manager of the club, Calvin Brockdorf, testified that the police could not have been as close to the women as they said they were, and he said that customers often complain about dim lighting, which would have made it more difficult for the officers to see clearly.

Violation of Rule 4.18: Illegal Conduct – March 10, 2015/January 8, 2015 – At approximately 8:00 pm the Baltimore City Police Department executed a Search and Seizure warrant at the establishment. The probable cause for the execution of the search warrant was based on a controlled purchase of illegal narcotic drugs at the establishment from a Mr. Andre Campbell, who was working as a bouncer at the establishment at time of purchase. On the date of the execution of the search warrant Mr. Andre Campbell was present and working at the establishment and was taken into custody and charged. On April 15, 2015 Mr. Campbell was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance and Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance in regards to the prior controlled purchase which occurred on January 8, 2015.

Violation of Adult Entertainment Rule 9: Codes Compliance – March 10, 2015/January 8, 2015 – On March 10, 2015, at approximately 7:20 pm an undercover detective of the Vice Unit of the Baltimore City Police Department entered the establishment. While at the establishment Det. Gatto engaged a dancer, later identified as Michelle Schwartz, in conversation. During their conversation Ms. Schwartz solicited Det. Gatto to engage in sexual acts in exchange for U.S. currency. At approximately 8:00 pm the Baltimore City Police Department executed a Search and Seizure warrant at the establishment on that same date. The probable cause for the execution of the search warrant was based on a controlled purchase of illegal narcotic drugs at the establishment from a Mr. Andre Campbell, who was working as a bouncer at the establishment at time of purchase. On the date of the execution of the search warrant Mr. Andre Campbell was present and working at the establishment and was taken into custody and charged. On April 15, 2015 Mr. Campbell was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance and Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance in regards to the prior controlled purchase which occurred on January 8, 2015.

Violation of Rule 4.18: Illegal Conduct – March 10, 2015/December 11, 2014 – At approximately 8:00 pm the Baltimore City Police Department executed a Search and Seizure warrant at the establishment. The probable cause for the execution of the search warrant was based on a controlled purchase of illegal narcotic drugs at the establishment from a Mr. Charles Thomas, who was working at the establishment at time of purchase, on December 11, 2014. On the date of the execution of the search warrant Mr. Charles Thomas was present and working at the establishment and was taken into custody and charged.

Violation of Adult Entertainment Rule 9: Codes Compliance – March 10, 2015/ December 11, 2014 – At approximately 8:00 pm an undercover detective of the Vice Unit of the Baltimore City Police Department entered the establishment. While there Det. Jackson engaged a dancer, later identified as Jasmine Vallare, in conversation. During their conversation Ms. Vallare solicited Det. Jackson to engage in sexual acts in exchange for U.S. currency. Ms. Vallare confirmed a range of prices for various services and agreed to a specific set of sexual services for $100.00 in U.S. currency. Shortly thereafter Det. Jackson’s investigation, Baltimore City Police executed a Search and Seizure warrant at the establishment. The probable cause for the execution of the search warrant was based on a controlled purchase of illegal narcotic drugs at the establishment from a Mr. Charles Thomas, who was working at the establishment at time of purchase, on December 11, 2014. On the date of the execution of the search warrant Mr. Charles Thomas was present and working at the establishment and was taken into custody and charged.