Phoenix-area strip clubs accused of drugging customers, defrauding them of $1.1 million
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — More than a dozen people are suing a group of strip clubs in Tempe and Scottsdale, claiming they were drugged and their credit cards were used to make unauthorized purchases totaling more than $1 million.
Nearly 20 people have filed a class action lawsuit against several companies that own Skin Cabaret and Bones Cabaret in Scottsdale and Dream Palace in Tempe. All three are “sister clubs” located on Scottsdale Road.
The first part of the lawsuit was filed in December on behalf of 15 people, while another man was added to the lawsuit on Feb. 13.
Court documents claim the companies were behind a scheme where the customers were drugged, and then their wallets and cellphones were stolen. While the alleged victims were passed out, photos were taken of them and their signatures were forged on credit card charges, the lawsuit said.
The incidents happened between October 2021 and Nov. 16, 2023, at the three clubs. All the men alleged cash was stolen from them, and at least one fingerprint used for a contract was someone else’s.
One alleged victim said he went to Skin Cabaret on Feb. 10, 2022, and that he paid for drinks and a private dance, totaling $6,300 for one charge, $4,800 for another and nothing else. He claims the drinks were “tainted with something” that caused him to black out.
He believes a dancer rolled his fingerprint and forced him to sign a document, which led to unauthorized charges of $187,600 to his American Express card. The alleged victim said the signatures and initials for the payments weren’t his.
Another man said he went to Bone Cabaret on Nov. 20, 2021, and admits he paid $170 for a private room and $4,000 for dances but never approved charges totaling $58,820. He claims he was drugged and said someone else signed credit card receipts for tipping the hostess $6,000 or paying someone $8,550.
The alleged victim said staff forced him to stand to have his photograph taken holding a clipboard so the charges would be approved.
The lawsuit claims another man was secretly drugged at Bones Cabaret and was taken to a private back room in March 2022. His two friends reportedly tried to get him out, but the staff wouldn’t let them.
The man claims employees forged his signature and initials and placed his thumb on multiple receipts, charging his credit card under the guise of “tips.” He came to and found out he had unauthorized credit card charges totaling $109,764, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit laid out similar incidents, where men say they were drugged and staff approved credit card charges for them, showing a pattern for the alleged scheme.
The documents said the men didn’t know each other.
The men are asking for a jury trial and want their money back from the clubs, plus punitive damages.
The law firm of Wilenchik and Bartness, the attorneys representing the companies, sent Arizona’s Family a statement on Wednesday denying any wrongdoing. They claim all services were signed for, and the credit card companies upheld the charges.
“The suggestion that someone guided the Plaintiffs’ hands in signing for each service is simply ludicrous,” Dennis Wilenchick said in an emailed statement. “No bouncers prevented their exit. There are no hard doors preventing anyone from leaving. In short, this is no different than going into a casino to gamble, losing money and demanding its return, only worse. The Plaintiffs received what they bargained for and did not complain to our client about any of it while they were receiving the benefits of what they sought.”
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