**Strip Club Executives Allegedly Bribed New York Tax Auditor to Slash Millions in Sales Taxes, Attorney General Charges**
A group of strip club executives reportedly bribed a New York state tax auditor with cash, luxury Florida trips, and lap dances valued at thousands of dollars per day to reduce millions from their tax bills, according to a sweeping indictment filed by Attorney General Letitia James.
The 79-count indictment targets top leaders of RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc., the Texas-based parent company behind popular strip clubs Rick’s Cabaret, Vivid Cabaret, and Hoops Cabaret. Prosecutors allege the executives used their venues to disguise bribes as “promotional” expenses, thereby avoiding more than $8 million in sales taxes between 2010 and 2024.
According to the indictment, the auditor received at least 13 all-expenses-paid trips to Florida, where company leadership provided hotel accommodations, restaurant meals, and up to $5,000 per day for private dances at RCI-owned clubs.
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**Defense Attorney Questions Criminal Intent and Timing**
Federal defense attorney Ronald Chapman II described the allegations as “sensational,” but suggested they may not prove criminal intent once examined in court.
“When you look a little deeper, things start to look a little bit different,” Chapman told Fox News Digital. “This case reminds me of the [President] Trump financial-fraud case, where prosecutors in New York built a sweeping narrative around business judgments that may not actually violate the law.”
Chapman emphasized that prosecutors face an uphill battle to establish a quid pro quo, i.e., that the auditor’s decisions were directly influenced by the perks received.
“It only turns into bribery when that is also done consistent with bad conduct, looking the other way on something,” he stated. “I just don’t see that other side of the quid pro quo yet.”
He also questioned the timing of the charges, highlighting the political context involving the embattled Attorney General.
“We see, once again, a very late indictment being brought. That means somebody brought this case from a pile of cases and decided to pluck it out,” Chapman explained. “Oftentimes we will see prosecutors right around the time they’re about to be facing re-election, trying to bring big cases like this with sensational headlines where they don’t really have the goods to fully handle the prosecution.”
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**Attorney General Letitia James Faces Separate Federal Charges**
Letitia James herself is facing legal troubles, as she will be arraigned in Virginia on federal bank fraud charges tied to a 2020 home purchase.
James is charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. Prosecutors allege she misrepresented a property purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, as a secondary residence on loan and mortgage documents, when in fact it was used as a rental investment property—qualifying her for more favorable loan terms. She has pleaded not guilty.
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**Details of the Indictment**
The indictment, filed in New York County Supreme Court, names several RCI executives as defendants, including:
– Eric Langan, Chief Executive Officer
– Timothy Winata, Controller
– Bradley Chhay, Chief Financial Officer
– Ahmed “Ed” Anakar, Operations Director
– Shaun Kevlin, Nightclub Operations Director
A sixth individual has also been charged but remains unidentified due to a sealed indictment.
RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc. and its three Manhattan-based clubs—Rick’s Cabaret, Vivid Cabaret, and Hoops Cabaret and Sports Bar—are also charged. The case includes allegations of criminal tax fraud, bribery, conspiracy, and filing false business records.
If convicted of the top counts, Langan, Winata, and Anakar could each face up to 25 years in prison. Chhay and Kevlin face a maximum sentence of 15 years.
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**Stay Updated**
For further details and to read the full indictment, stay tuned to updates from Fox News and official court releases.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/strip-club-executives-allegedly-bribed-tax-auditor-lap-dances-luxury-trips-slash-tax-bills
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