A Fulton County sheriff’s deputy was placed on personal leave after being arrested and charged with illegally running a nightclub.
Devon Brown, 45, who has worked in the sheriff’s department since 1995, was arrested Feb. 8 during what police said was a routine “compliance check” at the club along Metropolitan Parkway.
Such a check is aimed at confirming that a business has the proper permits and licenses, while operating at the appropriate hours and meeting the relevant safety standards set by the city’s building codes.
When police arrived at the location the evening of Feb. 8, they found windows and doors covered with black paper or tinting. When they entered through an open door, police smelled “the keen odor of burning marijuana,” according to the officer filing a report on the incident.
Police said about 15 to 20 patrons were drinking alcohol.
As uniformed officers entered the building, they saw four or five nude women running into the back of the establishment, according to the report. In a room, they found a man and woman having sex, authorities said.
Police asked who was in charge and Devon Brown emerged and said it was his club, according to the report.
Brown told police that the club was private and that he had been told years ago that he didn’t need a license. But he could not produce the charter or roster required for a private club.
Additionally, he was also unable to produce an alcohol license, an up-to-date permit for his coin-operated billiard table or a food service permit. Moreover, there seemed to be no proper ventilation for cooking.
Police said Brown had been warned two months before about the need to obtain permits and licenses and that the investigator who warned him was on the scene.
Inspectors said they found numerous code violations, including the lack of exit doors and exit signs, as well as faulty wiring, faulty plumbing and faulty ventilation.
A 9 mm handgun was discovered on Brown and taken from him as he was arrested, police said.
About the Author
