Strip Club Owner Maybe not so “Angelic,” Charged with Insurance Fraud

A California bar and strip club owner is going to have to change the way she runs her businesses from now on, after being charged with six felonies, including Worker’s Compensation Insurance fraud and tax evasion.

According to SWRNN.com, Renee Anne Vicary, 51, was arraigned on June 13^th. Riverside County DA spokesperson John Hall stated that she surrendered in court on an arrest warrant that was issued last month.

Vicary entered not guilty pleas and has a felony settlement conference scheduled for August 13^th.

During an investigation it was uncovered that Vicary owned and operated the following four businesses: Angels Sports Bar and Gentleman’s Club in Corona, Angels Sports Bar and Grill in Anaheim, and two Angels Roadhouse locations, one in Yucaipa and the other in Apple Valley.

Back in July of 2001, Angels Sports Bar in Corona was featured on an episode of the Spike TV show “Bar Repair,” during which it was renamed Racks Billiards and Bourbon.

Among her six charges, Vicary is charged with one count each of filing a false tax return with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), failure to collect and pay tax to the EDD, and one count of willful misrepresentation to obtain Worker’s Compensation Insurance.

Nearly two years ago, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office began their investigation after a tip that Vicary was under-reporting her employee payroll at the Corona location.

Her insurance policy showed that she was listed as employing four employees at each of the Corona and Anaheim businesses and three employees at each of the two San Bernardino County businesses.

Investigators determined that every location actually had more employees than Vicary stated.

Hall noted that search warrants were served at all four businesses as well as several financial institutions and Vicary’s home. It took many months, and help from 3 insurance companies that Vicary used, for EDD to complete audits.

Once those audits were complete, it showed that the losses were in excess of $340,000. Vicary was then charged by the DA’s Office with the six felonies.

If convicted on all charges, Vicary could face up to 14 years and four months in prison.