20 arrested in alleged sex scam at Las Vegas businesses

By Erin Dostal, Jackie Valley

Published Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010 | 3:24 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010 | 7:25 p.m.

Metro Police said today they arrested 20 people during Wednesday raids who allegedly enticed victims -- mostly male tourists -- to spend money with the belief they would eventually get sex.

Police said the raids were part of an extensive investigation into the conduct of three businesses. The raids occurred at Club Exclusive, 3595 S. Polaris Ave.; Sensations, 3233 South Industrial Road; and Entyce, 3915 West Twain Ave.

The three locations were portraying themselves to the victims as reflexology businesses, police said.

But according to arrest reports, Metro Police have identified the businesses as “clip joints” — a term used to describe places that swindle mainly tourists by making them pay steep fees for the promise of adult entertainment, typically sex, but provide nothing in return.

At Sensations and Club Exclusive II, the hostess would provide a brief description of services to customers, insinuating sexual gratification if the victim paid more, according to arrest reports.

The initial fee started at $200 per person, with a kickback of about $180 going back to the taxicab drivers, who knew about the kickbacks through fliers distributed by the businesses and by word of mouth, reports said.

Once the victims went back to a private room with an “attendant” — generally a scantily-clad woman — the attendant would try to up-sell the victims to a VIP area, using ambiguous language such as, “In the VIP, I can touch more places, particularly the ‘lower extremities,’” police said.

For a fee starting at about $500, the attendant would take the victims to the VIP room, where they would maybe massage the victims’ hands and feet. If the victims protested and solicited prostitution but wouldn’t offer more money, security would come and instruct them to leave, threatening physical violence if the victims continued to protest, according to the arrest reports.

A similar scenario played out at Entyce, except the initial fees were generally a bit lower, police allege.

Most of the victims initially were reluctant to speak to police because of the activity they were involved in, investigators said.

The Nevada Taxicab Authority assisted in the raids. Authorities said cab drivers allegedly delivered customers in exchange for kickbacks from the businesses, police said.

Those arrested during the raids face several charges, including racketeering, conspiracy and various crimes relating to fraud and obtaining money under false pretenses, police said.

The following people were arrested: Antoni Patalano, 32, Las Vegas; Kristen Weisenberger, 21, Las Vegas; Gia Jonette David, 45, Henderson; Jamie Seaton, 21, Las Vegas; Britani Lampkin, 23, Henderson; Rover Elvis Dugan, 48, Henderson; Roberta Gutierrez, 21, Las Vegas; Deborah Jeanne Dugan, 45, Las Vegas; Tracy Viton Ibarra, 28, North Las Vegas; Catherine Stephanie Dale, 25, Las Vegas; Alycyn Marie Allred, 24, North Las Vegas; Alicia Marie Haskell, 19, Las Vegas; Nathan J. Ellington, 33, Las Vegas; Marie Desmine Valerio, 23, Las Vegas; Anthony Hurtado, 30, Santa Paula, Calif.; Darver Jermaine Ballew, 37, Las Vegas; Jessica Decker, 20, Las Vegas; John Allen Sorget, 23, Las Vegas; James Buford, 44, Henderson; and Leah Montes, 31, Las Vegas.

Police said Thursday afternoon the investigation is ongoing.

The Reflexology Association of America defines reflexology as "the systematic, manual stimulation of the reflex maps located on the feet, hands and outer ears that resembles a shape of the human body."