'Common nuisance': Judge orders Fantasy Plaza strip club closure
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A judge has ordered a strip club on the North Freeway to close after a laundry list of alleged crimes on their property.
The City of Houston asked Judge Fredericka Phillips for a temporary injunction to shut down the Fantasy Plaza Cabaret after a string of arrests for crimes that occurred on their property, including prostitution.
The strip club is well known to law enforcement in Houston, being called "a common nuisance" in the complaint.
According to the city's complaint, the owners of Fantasy Plaza are accused of a number of crimes, including:
- Not having a valid license for a sexually oriented business in the City of Houston
- Not requiring all workers to have a valid permit for SOB employees
- Failing to keep dancers and entertainers from touching customers
- Failing to keep entertainers more than 3 feet away from customers
- Failing to keep customers and workers from entering private rooms together
- Failing to keep two licensed police officers inside and outside the club during business hours
- Failing to have surveillance systems inside and outside the club
- Failing to close no later than 2:15 a.m. and to remain closed until noon on Sunday
- Failing to close no later than 2:15 a.m. and to remain closed until 7 a.m. on weekdays
- Failing to keep files on all independent contracts or entertainers
- Failing to terminate employees convicted of felony offenses, as described in the Texas Penal Code
The owners of the property at 8503 North Freeway are accused by officials of leasing property for a sexually oriented business without a valid license, and for leasing the property to "any bar, night club or restaurant that sells or serve alcohol without a valid license from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission."
Earlier this month, Fantasy Plaza's owners filed a lawsuit against the City of Houston, alleging they were losing money to the city's "preferential treatment of other clubs."
A court date has been set for May to address these allegations.
