New York City officials bust illegal Manhattan 'bottle club' attended by 400 partygoers and arrest four people for breaking COVID-19 rules and liquor laws
New York City officials busted a party of nearly 400 people in Manhattan over the holiday weekend that violated the city’s COVID-19 rules and liquor laws, officials said.
The city’s deputy sheriffs shut down the event at 2.45am on Saturday in an upstairs commercial space at 202 W. 36th Street in the Manhattan’s Garment District.
Inside they found nearly 400 people partying and arrested four of them for breaking the city’s coronavirus emergency order restrictions and for warehousing and selling liquor without a license.
Under current emergency order restrictions gatherings of more than 50 people are banned.
New York City officials busted a party of nearly 400 people in Manhattan over the holiday weekend that violated the city’s COVID-19 rules and liquor laws, officials said. The sheriff's office shared photos of how they raided the party on Saturday around 2.45am and sent attendeees home
The sheriff’s office shared photos of the illicit 'bottle club', revealing the dozens of bottles of alcohol for sale including Patron tequila, Jameson whiskey, and Hennessy cognac
The city’s deputy sheriffs shut down the event at 2.45am on Saturday in an upstairs commercial space at 202 W. 36th Street in the Manhattan’s Garment District. They said attendees 'were not social distancing, not wearing proper face covering, and were not adhering to the Mayoral and Gubernatorial COVID Emergency Executive orders'. The party took place in a commercial space next door to the Pig 'n' Whistle bar, which is unaffiliated with the event
They said attendees 'were not social distancing, not wearing proper face covering, and were not adhering to the Mayoral and Gubernatorial COVID Emergency Executive orders.'
One of the arrested was a party organizer James Jenkins, 35, who was charged with criminal weapons possession, obstructing governmental operations, menacing and other counts. He also faces charges of selling liquor without a license, according to the New York Daily News.
He also had an open warrant for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
Three other organizers, including the DJ named Ronald Helvy, 36, of Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents Jahmier Lewis, 33, and Vincent Cereghini, 27, were issued civil warrants for violating the COVID-19 restriction orders.
The sheriff’s office shared photos of the illicit 'bottle club', located one door down from the Pig 'N' Whistle bar, that show dozens of bottles of alcohol for sale including Patron tequila, Jameson whiskey, and Hennessy cognac.
In the raid four people were arrested for breaking the city’s coronavirus emergency order restrictions and for warehousing and selling liquor without a license
Deputies also busted another illegal club two days prior on Thanksgiving day on Junction Boulevard in Queens were at least 76 people were found inside, as per NBC New York.
Officials in the Big Apple are cracking down on parties that could potentially be superspreader events as the state grapples with increasing coronavirus cases and increased holiday travel.
On Saturday New York City recorded 1,589 new cases of COVID-19. The city's seven day average for the five boroughs reached 3.64 percent.
As of Saturday in New York City there’s been 289,013 total cases and 19,582 confirmed deaths.
Nationally, there have been more than 13million cases of COVID-19 and more than 266,000 deaths.
Officials across the country have expressed fears over spikes in the virus due to holiday gatherings and celebrations, as the nation observed increased travel this past week for Thanksgiving.
