TOLLAND, Conn. — After a long-term investigation into allegations of criminal activity and prostitution, Connecticut State Police and Homeland Security Investigations spent Thursday executing a search warrant at Electric Blue Café, a strip club on Merrow Road in Tolland. Town officials have suspended the club's business license as a result.
Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley said in a prepared written statement he read to reporters, "During the course of the investigation it has been revealed that for several years up to the current time, we have reason to believe that prostitution and criminal activity have occurred on the premises and as a result, we exercised code 51-a of our town code and issued a suspension notice."
Foley said the area is safe and surrounding businesses are open. But the investigation caused quite a stir in town.
Ron Lickwar who works at Napa Auto Parts nearby said he saw the commotion of activity from the shop and has been fielding questions from customers all day.
“We came into work at 9:30 a.m. and shortly after I came in we were informed by people coming in that the police were outside," said Lickwar. “We noticed cars from Massachusetts and other places and that was a tip-off that something was going on. When we came out they were actually standing on the corner, so you knew something was happening.”
Investigators from several federal agencies and state police move in and out of the building Thursday, escorting in contractors from a professional lock and safe company who carried several carts.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Homeland Security New England Field Office told FOX61, "Homeland Security Investigations and law enforcement partners are participating in a joint investigation at a business in Tolland, Connecticut on Thursday morning. As this is an ongoing investigation, we’re not able to comment further at this time."
IRS Criminal Investigators and state narcotics investigators were on the scene and the State Police Eastern District Major Crimes truck.
“They’ve been served with notice and shut down for the next 30 days but there’s a civil process and again the owner will have opportunity for recourse," Foley said.
Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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