TOLLAND, Conn. — Editor's note: Video originally aired on March 21.
The Town of Tolland announced it is officially withdrawing its notice of suspension to a local strip club under investigation by federal authorities.
After a long-term investigation into allegations of criminal activity and prostitution, Connecticut State Police and Homeland Security Investigations spent March 16 executing a search warrant at Electric Blue Café, a strip club on Merrow Road.
In a statement made in March, 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."
It was then that town officials suspended the club's business license as well.
Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley said in a prepared written statement he read to reporters in March, "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."
The next day, a representative of the club then went to the town to appeal the suspension. Town code meant that Electric Blue could remain in operation.
On April 17, a month later, Foley wrote on his Tolland Town Manager Facebook page that the town was officially revoking its notice of suspension a month after it was issued.
Foley went on to explain that, after 30 days of suspension is held up by the town council after a hearing, then Electric Blue had the right to file an appeal to the state's Superior Court immediately.
"This would forward the case to State of Connecticut court system at significant expense to the town only to fight a temporary suspension. Moreover, during a lengthy appeals process, a business has the right to remain open," said Foley in the statement.
Electric Blue remains under federal criminal investigation, with details surrounding the investigation still unknown to the public.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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