NEW HAVEN, Conn. — William Mayo, 41, of Manchester, pleaded guilty June 17 in New Haven to an offense related to the operation of the Electric Blue strip club in Tolland following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) and the Connecticut State Police.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mayo conspired with others to facilitate prostitution at the Electric Blue strip club in Tolland, which employed dancers who also performed nude dances and lap dances for customers. Mayo was employed at the club as a bouncer and was primarily responsible for hiring dancers, many of whom were not legally authorized to live or work in the United States. The Electric Blue had a semi-private “lap dance room” and “VIP rooms” where dancers regularly performed commercial sex acts for customers. As payment for commercial sex acts, customers would typically pay the club an entry fee for use of the lap dance room or one of the VIP rooms and then pay an additional fee directly to the dancer. In addition, the club collected cash through cover charges paid at the door and fees paid by dancers to perform at the club. It is alleged that millions of dollars in business receipts collected in cash were not reported to the IRS.
Mayo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use an interstate facility to promote or facilitate prostitution, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. A sentencing date is not scheduled. Mayo was arrested by HSI, IRS-CI, and officers from the Manchester Police Department on May 15. He is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is led by HSI New England’s New Haven Resident Agent in Charge office, the IRS-CI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s Liquor Control Division, and the Massachusetts State Police, with the assistance of the Willimantic Police Department and Manchester Police Department.
If you are an employee or dancer at the Electric Blue and have additional information or would like victim support services, please contact the U.S. attorney’s office’s victim advocate at usact.vns@usdoj.gov or 203-696-3039 or contact the HSI tip line at 877-4-HSI-TIP.
The Department of Justice press release of the original charges is also available in Spanish and Portuguese.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.