Former bouncer pleads guilty to prostitution charge following CT strip club sting

One of three people indicted by a federal grand jury last month has pleaded guilty to a charge tied to allegations a strip club in Tolland promoted prostitution and failed to report millions of dollars in earnings.

William Mayo, 41, of Manchester pleaded guilty Monday during a hearing in federal court in New Haven to one count of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to promote or facilitate prostitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

The charge carries a maximum of five years in prison. Mayo is free on $100,000 bond while he awaits sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

Mayo was one of three people arrested following an indictment handed down last month in connection with accusations that Electric Blue Cafe facilitated prostitution in “VIP,” “lap dance” and “champagne” rooms at the club where exotic dancers who worked there would allegedly perform commercial sex acts, according to federal officials.

Indictment maps out details of CT strip club arrests, nude dancing, alleged prostitution operation

Officials said Mayo was a bouncer at the club who was primarily responsible for hiring nude and semi-nude dancers, many of whom were identified by investigators as immigrants.

According to officials, customers typically paid a cover charge to enter the club and would allegedly pay an additional cover to use the more private VIP and lap dance rooms where the sex acts were allegedly performed. They also allegedly paid fees directly to the dancers in exchange for the illegal services, authorities allege.

In addition to cover charges, officials said club ownership allegedly collected money from the dancers for the right to perform at the club. Investigators believe that millions of dollars collected in cash was not reported to the IRS.

Authorities allege the illegal acts at the club took place between January 2020 and at least through March 2023.

Those indicted also include Kenneth Denning, 67, of Holland, Massachusetts, and Joshua Baker, 41, of Willimantic.

According to federal court documents, Denning was the owner of the Electric Blue Cafe. The club was owned by Denning Enterprises, a holding company nominally owned by Denning’s wife, but controlled by him.

Baker worked at the Electric Blue and served as the manager and bookkeeper for the club.