3 arrested in overnight Shark Lounge strip club raid

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Written by: 195 on Mar 1, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Three people were arrested after Daytona Beach police wrapped up a 16-month investigation into prostitution and drugs sales at a strip club.

Officer raided The Shark Lounge in what they called "Operation Chum Bucket" early Thursday morning.

Officers said they found drugs, from pills to cocaine, and not strippers, but prostitutes inside the strip club, located on East International Speedway Boulevard.

One person was arrested on charges of selling drugs; another was arrested on prostitution charges and one other person for lewd and lascivious behavior, according to police.

Police said the names of those arrested will be released sometime Thursday.

The investigation started with undercover drug deals that were made with everyone from the dancers to the bartenders, even the strip club's customers, police said.

The police chief said he wants to shut the business down.

"It's a whorehouse, and you can get dope in here, you can do whatever you want to do and tonight is the first act of hopefully putting this place out of business," said Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood.

Chitwood said the investigation began in November 2010 with undercover officers trying to buy drugs, but then the dancers started offering them sex for money.

Chitwood said his officers were propositioned twice on Wednesday night.

Police said as soon as the dancers got the roughly $200 they were looking for, they handed it to the bartender. That's when witnesses said 15 officers raided the place.

A man who goes by the name "Boxer," said he was a bouncer at the strip club. He was not arrested, but WFTV asked if he knew about any crimes going on inside.

"All I do is I watch that door. I check IDs and I take care of the drunks. As far as the other stuff goes, I know nothing about it," Boxer said.

"Everyone knows that if you want to purchase sex with a dancer and you want to buy dope, you want to buy cocaine, and you want to buy pills, this is the place to come and do it," said Chitwood.

Chitwood said this investigation is far from over. He expects 15 more arrests.

WFTV also found out that the police busted the lounge for a number of code violations a couple years ago.

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