Here in Las Vegas, escort services and strip clubs are big business. They’re also (generally) cash businesses. A joint police task force has been looking into the operations. The local police are concerned about prostitution (it is illegal in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas); federal authorities are interested in tax evasion. One local man has found himself charged with structuring.
As I’ve reported before, structuring is deliberately making cash deposits under $10,000 so as to avoid currency transaction reports. It’s a felony.
Emmanouil Varagiannis has been charged with structuring. Mr. Varagiannis is the general manager of the Olympic Garden. He’s alleged to have made 208 cash deposits totaling more than $1.8 million…all under $10,000. The structuring apparently relates to Midnight Inc.; that entity, which does business as Midnight Entertainers, is an escort service.
The news story in the Review-Journal noted that the task force continues to probe allegations of prostitution and kickbacks to cab drivers who direct customers to specific strip clubs. It is worth noting that Mr. Varagiannis has only been charged with one count of structuring and has not been charged with anything else.
