Speaking for the first time about his agency’s year-long undercover prostitution investigation into Platinum Plus, Greenville County Sheriff Steve Loftis said Thursday investigators spent $26,000 on strippers and alcohol for the investigation.
Loftis said all the money for the investigation — called “Operation Champagne” — came from drug seizures and none of it was taxpayer dollars.
A judge has ordered Platinum Plus to close its doors by Friday.
Greenville County Judge Chuck Simmons decided Wednesday to temporarily shut down the strip club under the nuisance ordinance until a civil lawsuit against it goes to court.
The lawsuit follows 20 arrests after a nearly year-long undercover prostitution investigation there.
All 20 of them have bonded out of jail. Four people are still wanted.
The sheriff’s office has signed 69 warrants because of the investigation. Sixty-eight of them were for prostitution or exposing private parts in a lewd and lascivious manner.
The other warrant was for distributing marijuana. The sheriff said an undercover agent bought marijuana from a dancer off-site.
In a joint press conference with 13th Circuit Solicitor Walt Wilkins, Loftis called Platinum Plus a “public brothel.”
“Would the general public have us ignore a house of ill repute and allow them to break the law on a daily basis?” said Loftis.
Defense attorney Randy Hiller said the judge’s decision Wednesday was no surprise.
In fact, the judge’s decision was so little of a surprise that Hiller overnight mailed an appeal to Columbia – on Tuesday.
It asks for a stay order which would keep the strip club open until an appeals court could rule.
He’s hoping that stay will be granted in a matter of days, but it’s unlikely that decision will come before the club’s 48 hours are up.
The judge’s order calls for the trial to happen on an expedited basis.
Although no trial date has been set, attorneys on both sides say they’ll be ready for trial within 90 days.
— Information from WSPA-TV
