TAMPA, Fla. – Ioannis Pahoumis, owner of the Risque Gentlemen’s Club in Tampa, has been found guilty on multiple felony charges related to his involvement in an organized drug and human trafficking ring operating out of his establishment.
Pahoumis was found guilty on charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, trafficking in cocaine (more than 28 grams), conspiracy to commit trafficking in cocaine (more than 28 grams), and money laundering (more than $100,000).
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“Thanks to the assistance of our law enforcement partners and the hard work of Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Debra Bell and Ryan Shaw, we have secured a guilty conviction of a club owner at the center of a drug and human trafficking ring,” stated Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. “By going after criminals and holding them accountable, we can continue making our home safe, strong, and free.”
The case originated from an undercover investigation initiated by the Tampa Police Department, targeting illicit activities at the Risque Gentlemen’s Club. During the course of the investigation, undercover authorities conducted numerous operations within the club.
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These operations resulted in multiple drug purchases directly from dancers and other employees, and officers also documented receiving offers for commercial sex acts, indicating human trafficking activities.
According to the Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSP), the investigation yielded substantial evidence demonstrating Pahoumis’s direct involvement and culpability, as the club’s owner, in the criminal enterprise operating within his venue.
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