TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—The Office of Statewide Prosecution, led by Attorney General James Uthmeier, has achieved a guilty verdict against a club owner involved in an organized drug and human trafficking ring based in Tampa. Ioannis Pahoumis was convicted on charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, trafficking in cocaine, and other felonies.
“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 Attorney General James Uthmeier. “By going after criminals and holding them accountable, we can continue making our home safe, strong, and free.”
The investigation into Pahoumis’s club, Risque Gentlemen’s Club, was initiated by Tampa Police to explore suspected drug sales and human trafficking activities. Through multiple undercover operations, authorities were able to purchase drugs from dancers and employees and received offers for commercial sex acts. The detailed investigation revealed numerous signs of Pahoumis’s participation in the illicit activities as the owner of the club.
The charges against Pahoumis include racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, trafficking in cocaine in amounts exceeding 28 grams, conspiracy to commit trafficking in cocaine in similar quantities, and money laundering of more than $100,000.
Pahoumis is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27th in Hillsborough County.
