The Tolland Town Council has voted against allowing a club to operate after a prostitution probe resulted in multiple arrests earlier this year.
Multiple people were charged in connection to an investigation at Electric Blue Café in Tolland. An indictment returned by a federal grand jury states that Electric Blue employed dancers who performed nude dances and lap dances for customers.
The establishment's owner, Kenneth Denning, 67, of Holland, Massachusetts, was arrested along with two employees - Joshua Baker, 41, of Willimantic, and William Mayo, 41, of Manchester.
Denning owned and oversaw operations at Electric Blue, Baker was the club manager and bookkeeper, and Mayo was employed as a bouncer. He was primarily responsible for hiring dancers, many of whom weren't legally authorized to live or work in the country.
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State police and federal agents searched the club at 62 Merrow Rd. in March of 2023 after suspecting prostitution and sexual activity at the establishment. Days after being shut down, Electric Blue reopened.
The indictment says that Electric Blue had a "semi-private lap dance room" and "VIP rooms" where dancers would perform commercial sex acts for customers. An entry fee would be paid to use the room, and another fee was given to the dancers, authorities said.
Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley told NBC Connecticut that the town council voted in favor of not allowing the club to continue operating in town.
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They also granted a cease and desist order to be given to the club as well.
