Instead, that authority was vested in the ATC, but IndyStar found understaffing, poor oversight and lax enforcement allowed violence to fester at bars and clubs, even after multiple shootings and other problems.Hi □ I would like to share a first version of my NPC Addon today. IMPD and city officials said they were powerless to shut down bars because of a state law, unique among Indiana's neighboring states, that prevents cities and counties from regulating alcohol establishments. Read IndyStar's investigation: 49 killed, 154 shot or stabbed: How Indiana law protects bad bars The spate of license denials follows an IndyStar investigation published in early February found more than 600 reports of violence tied to 80 alcohol establishments since 2016, including 49 homicides and more than 150 shootings. Closings come after IndyStar investigation Jeff McKean, an attorney for the club, did not immediately respond to a message from IndyStar. ![]() ![]() The commission's denial on Tuesday means the bar will have to close at least until its annual license renewal hearing before the Alcoholic Beverage Board of Marion County next month. It's owner, Marvin Betancourt, was charged with corrupt business influence and failure to pay taxes in 2021, but IndyStar found the ATC allowed the bar to remain open. In one case, police shot an underage patron who they said was aiming a gun at a group outside the bar in 2020. El Chila Sports BarĬommissioners also denied a temporary 90-day license extension for El Chila Sports Bar, where a homicide and several other shootings have occurred in recent years. "This is egregious in my opinion," he said.Īkinbolawa did not immediately return a message from IndyStar. The ATC finally took action in December when it declined to grant a temporary license extension, but it was cited in January for serving alcohol.ĪTC Commissioner James Payne said he was struck by the strength of opposition from neighborhood groups and police during last month's local board hearing. IndyStar found that despite the problems, the club was allowed to remain open. The club's owner, Olusola Akinbolawa, was also charged last year with corrupt business influence, theft and failure to pay taxes. Christopher Boomershine holds up a photo of 25-year-old Secoya Williams who was shot and killed at Club Kalakutah in the early morning hours of Feb. The commission's vote could be the final blow for Kalakutah Republic, a restaurant and night club where police say six shootings or reports of gunfire have occurred in recent years, including one in the club's parking lot that killed a 25-year-old woman in February 2022. The club's hired attorney, Mark Webb, told IndyStar his client plans to appeal the ATC's decision and will remain closed in the meantime. That case was settled for $400,000 and no wrongdoing was acknowledged. ![]() ![]() A former employer accused another of the club's representatives of racketeering, fraud and hiding assets. One owner was convicted of tax evasion and forgery, but later had his record expunged. "The list goes on and on," ATC Commissioner Marjorie Maginn said.Īn IndyStar story published Tuesday also raised questions about the club's ownership. Photographed on Tuesday, Maat Club Onyx on South Harding Street in Indianapolis. The club received violation citations from the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission. A lock holds the front gates together outside of the newly closed Club Onyx after the club was shut down in February.
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