Nearly 20 people are suing an Arizona strip club chain, alleging they were drugged in its VIP room and scammed out of $1.1 million.
Skin Cabaret, Bones Cabaret and Dream Palace — three clubs along the same two-mile stretch from Scottsdale to Tempe owned by Todd Borowski — were named in the most recent filing, obtained in January. It is mentioned. fox 10 phoenix. The club owners, who operated under the Wisnowski Corporation, have been charged with racketeering, conspiracy and several other charges.
One of the victims, an Air Force member stationed in Arizona, said his credit card was charged more than $72,000, and told local media that the aftermath of the attack was “life-changing and career-changing.” The man, identified by Fox 10 as “Joe,” claims he got separated from his friend when he went to the bathroom just before dark.
“I remember walking through what I thought was a cloud of perfume or cosmetics or some kind of dust coming in through the cracks in the light,” the plaintiff told the magazine. “At that time, I went to the VIP room and started having symptoms that were not related to alcohol. There was something else going on, so I had no choice but to silently comply with their requests. ”
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Skin Cabaret is one of three strip clubs along the 2-mile highway owned by Todd Borowski. In the civil suit, about 20 club patrons claim they don’t remember being drugged, signing contracts under the influence, or being charged exorbitant fees. (Fox 10 Phoenix)
Scottsdale Police Department financial crimes detectives say in court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital that Joe’s story about what happened next is consistent with the stories of patrons from several different states. It says that it is. He leaves with memory loss, his signature and thumbprint on documents, his photo taken, and exorbitant credit card charges.
Joe told FOX 10 he’s never been drug tested, but added, “I felt like I wasn’t in control of the situation and that was really new to me.”
Another plaintiff, referred to as “Bobby” by Fox 10, told the outlet that he was “just confused” when he noticed one of the club’s VIP rooms.
“I felt lost and dazed. Like I said, I had no idea where I was at that point.”
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The patrons who filed the lawsuit were sued for a total of $1.1 million, according to the complaint. They are accusing owner Todd Borowski of extortion, conspiracy and several other charges. (Fox 10 Phoenix)
Bobby said he paid for the drinks and the private dance, but said he did not recall authorizing any further charges to his card at Skin Cabaret afterward. According to court documents, he spent a total of $181,000 at the club in eight transactions.
“At that point, I didn’t think these were actually legal transactions,” he told the outlet. “It seemed completely unconscionable that something like this would happen, especially given the amount of claims processed and the amount of a single transaction.”
Like Joe, Bobby said the impact was “emotionally quite excruciating.”
“I lost my appetite for many days after this happened… It was not only a strain on me, but also on my family, my wife, and my parents had to participate as well. We also had small children. ” Bobby said.
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One man claims he was charged $72,000 for a night he barely remembers years ago when he was separated from his friends at Bones Cabaret and walked through what he thought was a “cloud of perfume or cosmetics or something.” He said he was later incapacitated. (Fox 10 Phoenix)
According to police reports included in the complaint, customers negotiated rates for VIP rooms with hostesses at three clubs, then signed contracts, provided credit cards and identification, affixed thumbprints, and He said he took a photo. But the plaintiffs in the lawsuit say they have no or little recollection of signing these contracts, according to court documents.
Attorney Rod Galaza, who is representing the alleged victims, told FOX 10 that nearly all of them are from out of state and “they all have the same story, but they’ve never met any of them.” .
“They remember someone yelling at them to sign a document on a clipboard, saying, ‘Stop acting around and hold your pen properly,’ or telling a bouncer or hostess, ‘Stand up and smile. I vaguely remember him yelling at me, ‘You’re doing your best.’ I’m not smiling, you’re taking pictures,” Galarza said.
One plaintiff even claims that club personnel authorized his credit card transactions by holding the phone up to his face and using facial recognition to unlock the phone.
Joe said, “It was like watching a movie.” [his] It’s my own eyes. ”
“They’re all telling the same story, but they haven’t met anyone,” attorney Rod Galaza, who represents the victims, told FOX 10. (Fox 10 Phoenix)
“It was kind of an out-of-body experience because inside I was screaming at myself, this is wrong, get out, run,” he told FOX 10. There’s a bouncer at the door and a disorienting hallway that doesn’t seem to be going well. ”
The Scottsdale Police Department and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office tell Fox 10 they are aware of the allegations against Skin Cabaret, Bones Cabaret and Dream Palace and are working with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office on the case against the strip joints. He said he was doing it. Fox News Digital was unable to reach the state attorney general for comment at the time of reporting.
Dennis Wilenczyk, a lawyer representing the club’s owners, said the victims’ claims were “completely baseless.” (Fox 10 Phoenix)
“The lawsuit is without merit,” an attorney representing club owner Borowski said in a statement to FOX 10.
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“It’s like going to a casino and getting your money back after you decide to go there. First of all, they weren’t drugged,” lawyer Dennis Wilenczyk told the outlet. Told. “Secondly, the dancers were independent contractors. Thirdly, they were receiving expressly contracted services and were documented and photographed. And fourthly, The credit card company also investigated and approved the transaction.”
