By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
EIGHT Jamaicans who were arrested following a police raid of a West Bay Street strip club were yesterday fined and ordered to return home.
While club owner Dennis Halamino and Bahamian Chantel Hill were put on $7,500 bail with two sureties and told to return to court on January 18, 2013. Tenella Salmon, Lamore Adams, Doreen Taylor, Stacy-Anne Andrews, Sabrina Scott, Latoya Depaque, Corneila Chambers and Policia Peet, were each ordered to pay to the court fines ranging from $1,500 to $2,500.
Halamino owns at least three other clubs in New Providence, which include Tropicana, Downtown, Nassau and Casablanca.
When the court receives proof that the fines are settled, Deputy Chief Magistrate Carolita Bethel advised the women to seek an honest living in their own country.
During the trial, the prosecution presented several graphic accounts based on the testimony of undercover officers on the night the club was shut down. Immigration officials also testified that all of the women had at some point obtained fraudulent extension of stay stamps. None of the women would tell the Chief Magistrate who gave them the fake stamps.
Each of them pleaded guilty to the charges which ranged from overstaying their permitted time in the Bahamas, soliciting prostitution, and working without the proper documents.
Authorities conducted the operation last Saturday.
On that night, ASP Dorsett, appearing for the prosecution said several plain clothed officers entered a room in the club where a woman was dancing topless on a pole. Men who sat around the pole threw money at the woman. The woman was later identified as Lamore Adams. The other women in the room, according to the officers, were scantily dressed in what appeared to be either bikinis or bras with panties, ASP Dorsett said.
When the officer sat down, he was approached at least three times by the women who offered him lap-dances at a cost of $10.
The officer, upon receiving the dances, further testified that one of the women, exposed herself which revealed several tattoos and piercings. The officer was then invited to have sex with the woman at a cost of $150. The dancer pointed out another room that was available for sexual activity. The room fee would be $50 the prosecution said. The officer did not take her up on the offer, he added.
The evidence said the same officer was approached by another woman offering a lap dance who also exposed herself and again offered sex for $200.
After a series of the same offers and behaviour from other women, a number of officers entered the club, turned the lights on and found the women scrambling in a back room to dress themselves. They were all arrested and taken to Central Police Station for questioning.
Comments
242 11 years, 7 months ago
The officer was in the club long enough to see all of that and pay for and receive a whole lap dance by more than one woman and then after a night of fun call for back up and arrested them all. Was this all for evidence? Was this an officer enjoying the "illegal" activity prior to making the arrests? Or was this an off duty officer caught in the middle of a raid? Lets just say it was for evidence and he hated every second of those lap dances.
Factspeaker 11 years, 7 months ago
People can build executive headquarters on Bay Street to headquarter their illegal businesses. Interesting how "selective" the law is in this country!
TalRussell 11 years, 7 months ago
Politely "ask" illegal strippers to exit our Bahamaland? How sweet.
I guess they lack the "courage" to do what they were once so darn outspoken against, the relaxed, or lack of, instant red shirts immigration enforcements?
Remember 2002 - 2007?
by TalRussell
Arob 11 years, 7 months ago
Russell, any right-minded citizen would think that the Court would turn these "criminals" (they were found guilty) over to the Department of Immigration for deportation at the criminals' expense. I have a question: What was the immigration status of these women: (a) visitor visa's or (b) work permit, (c) illegal? Visas and Work Permists should have been revoked. [Are we witnessing weak journalism or weak immigration/justice system collaboration?]
sansoucireader 11 years, 7 months ago
Who is club owner, Dennis Halamino? Not a 'Bahamian name' is it? Who really owns these clubs? What happened to the 11 men/patrons , I believe, who are taken into custody? You publish everyone one else's name, publish their names too. Disgusting!
Observer 11 years, 7 months ago
Dennis' name should read Palamino. Believe he once worked at PI casino; same person by appearance, but a little older of course.
Aquarium 11 years, 7 months ago
The name of the owner is actually Dennis Palomino, originally from Peru but now a Bahamian citizen. He came into the country around 1994 and worked in the Paradise Island Casino. He married a Bahamian (rumour has it as a “convenience marriage” – and by all signs, that’s what it is) and eventually acquired Bahamian citizenship. For a few years now, he has owned a joint (bar/restaurant) in the Columbus Arcade, catering mainly to Peruvians and Latins in general. Later, as he prospered, he opened up a similar, but bigger, outfit up on a balcony near the Pompey Museum. Most recently, he took over this place on West Bay, across from St. Alban’s Dr., and he named it Copacabana. The lady judge should be more harsh, she was too soft with the Jamaican women. Should Palomino continue to be a Bahamian citizen? Man, dis make me so angry, it seems errybody and their brother can come to our country and do all kinda tings, man.
sansoucireader 11 years, 7 months ago
Revoke his Bahamian citizenship! Wrote here before about driving pass that place opposite St. Alban's Drive on a recent public holiday. Horrible loud 'music' blasting and armed police on the sidewalks. Tourists were running away from the very rough-looking crowd. His behavior and businesses sound disgraceful and yes, the Jamaican women got off too easy. Will probably be back in a few weeks.
lakerfan242 11 years, 7 months ago
I hated reading all the silly comments by the mainly jealous Bahamian women on facebook and other places over this. They think that by having less strippers that means more men for them... well guess what strippers or not if you are an unattractive ugly Bahamian woman ain't no man want you no how. Why you concerned who was in there as patrons, as long as it wasn't your husband or boyfriend, but heck it might of been, men gone spend money on women they like one way or the other, and if they don't like you they gone spend on other women. Just get the eff over it, step ya game up, then maybe men wouldn't feel the need to go to strip clubs. Shutting strip club downs won't do anything about the desire men have for them. I love strippers and hate jealous always-hating Bahamian women who think they know it all. Some of us men just ain't interested in yall, ain't nobody getting robbed, killed or raped in the s trip clubs in fact they probably are some of the most peaceful places in Nassau. yall Bahamian women just need to step up your game and/or get a life.
Shirley 11 years, 7 months ago
lakerfan242 you sound like a lonely, bitter, hideous creep who can't get a woman. If you get your rocks off by hanging around in some smelly rat hole watching skanks show what they had for breakfast, more power to you. I heard a number of the patrons spent the night in jail. Hope it was worth it. You momma must be so proud.
bigdee 11 years, 7 months ago
i agree with lakerran242 bahamain woman all they want to do is go in wibeshops and spin out aall bahamain men money i think bahamain woman are afraid of jamican woman afraid of cuban woman even hatain woman they have a problem with bahamain woman dont cook dont cclean they just spin spin their life away gambleing whats the differance between gambleing and stripping all of its are against the law i disgree those woman should have on more clothes and should nt have breaken the law but just as much gambleing shops here we have strips clubs its amazeing how come the ploice only raid that one bahamain woman get up stop being lazy and do for your men then tthe men of this country would not go into strip clubs
bloody 11 years, 7 months ago
In the meantime , MAGIC CITY remains open as a well known strp club with illegal workers , In fact on my last trip , POLICE ENTERED in unfiform , and walked around and left after talking to the owner , they went in alittle room , an came out and left ......so this is such a luagh , asusual in the Bahamas , selective raids by the police, Magic city been open for years , no one has ever shut it down , WHY , I ynderstand the late Charles Maynard was fond of the place , many times his car was park behind the building and he was in a private area in the club , rumor is he protected it.... boy when ya fat and ugly da tings ya do for pusxx, Police never ever raid Magic City yet everyone in Nassau know what it is , THE LAW IN THE BAHAMAS IS SUCH A COMPLETE JOKE and you wonder why crime so high, go figure ya hypocrites
kurls 11 years, 7 months ago
PREACH IT ^^^^^^^^^honey.U hit the nail right on the head!!!
really 11 years, 7 months ago
who goes in other people country to be a stripper/prostitute? i thought you leave your country and go abroad to do better and make a better life............these some real low lives yal cant read or something ey thats what yal have to resort to? i too shame for yal ...n y they didnt send them to detention center let them take them same dollar bills niggas was throwin at they bleach out body and buy they own ticket home
MartGM 11 years, 7 months ago
It's a little business called "sex slavery" or "sex tourism" or "human trafficking." It's all the rage in the rest of the Caribbean and it's been here for a very LONG time as well...just kept on the quiet. You'd be amazed at the amount of "prostitutes" or "strippers" or "escorts" or whatever name they're using these days who are NOT Bahamian. Some of the best hotels in this country are host to these very practices...don't drink the kool-aid "really." It's a business and those ladies are the bottom feeders...they aren't here by choice...
kurls 11 years, 7 months ago
And let them strip if they want. Alot of you'll out there doin worst things to get money!!! I know that much!! #Real talk
concernedcitizen 11 years, 7 months ago
true talks ,you don,t get no lovin till after light bill and hair weave paid ..what bout all the number houses ,there bahamian owned ,should we deport there owners too or just whip them in public ..palamanio wouldn,t make any money if bahamians didn,t want to go just like the # man,if we didn,t play there wouldn,t be one web shop ..
1plpgovernment 11 years, 7 months ago
Bahamian women go to the "legal strip club" so we can buy Bahamian.
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