Eleven people were arrested early Thursday morning when narcotics officers raided an unlicensed strip club in South Fulton.
Investigators were tipped to alleged illegal activity at Eye Candy on Old National Highway months ago, according to South Fulton police spokesman Sgt. Jubal Rogers. During the raid, several items were seized “consistent with the sale and distribution of suspected marijuana, crack, cocaine and MDMA,” he said.
Sgt. Shannon McKesey told Channel 2 Action News from the scene that citizens have called in to complain about the strip club in the past. The business is one of several police are targeting on Old National Highway.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“It's been a four-month-long investigation where we were investigating criminal activity such as illegal drug sales and illegal stripping,” McKesey said. “... We heard their complaints, we came out here, we did our due diligence (and) we investigated on our part.”
A search warrant was executed at midnight with the help of Fulton County police and Fulton County Schools police.
Thirteen people were initially detained, but only 11 are facing charges as of Thursday afternoon. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are possible, according to police.
Of the 11 arrested, seven were women. Jaida Lancaster, Shaleya Saulsberry, Ti’Mia Johnson, Rosalie Browne, Samyiah Franklin, Clairadiany Noel, and Briana Johnson were charged with violating a city code that requires a license to run a sexually oriented business.
The women, ages 20 to 50, were released on a summons to appear in court.
Raymon Haughton, 45, was arrested on a charge of impersonating a police officer, and 36-year-old Antonio Durrett was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession. Memphis Baliem, 38, is facing drug charges related to the distribution of MDMA and marijuana, as well as a weapons charge.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of 28-year-old Mack Cortez, who was wanted on unrelated charges.
Just last month, another South Fulton business was raided and its owner was arrested on charges of theft. Karla Hill, 41, was accused of running a chop shop at her salvage yard off Roosevelt Highway, according to police. Michael Grant, 44, was also arrested on similar charges.
The business had been under investigation for several months before police searched the property Sept. 4. At least 27 vehicles reported stolen from jurisdictions across metro Atlanta were recovered, along with countless number of stolen car parts, police Chief Keith Meadows told Channel 2.
Meadows called it “one of the largest organized crime operations in the Atlanta metropolitan area.” The raid at the strip club Thursday was another step toward “the elimination of organized crime” in South Fulton, the chief said in a statement.
“The men and women of this police department serve our citizens with distinction and they have far exceeded my expectations in such a short period of time,” he said.
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