RAID CITATIONSThomas Williams, 60 - Gambling promotion, possession of a gambling device, illegal sale or storage of alcoholAlberta Williams, 51 - Gambling promotion, possession of a gambling deviceCassandra Toland, 47 - Possession of a gambling device, possession of marijuanaAngela Jones, 50 - Illegal sale or storage of alcoholFrances White, 48 - Illegal gamblingLarry Ballanger, 53 - Illegal gamblingDiajuanna Trollinger, 41 - Illegal gamblingLeslie Trollinger, 46 - Illegal gamblingMaurice Wallace, 47 - Arrested for outstanding warrantMark Jackson, 53 - Possession of untaxed liquorSource: Chattanooga Police Department
The Chocolate City Club is located at 27 W. 19th St. just off Market Street in Chattanooga.Chattanooga police raided a local nightclub and cited nine people for gambling and alcohol charges in late October, police confirmed Tuesday.
Police executed a search warrant at Chocolate City Club - a dark concrete building tucked just off Market Street at 27 W. 19th St. - on Oct. 26. Police and other agencies seized illegal tip boards, bottles of untaxed liquor, six grams of marijuana, $1,000 in cash and other evidence of illegal alcohol sales during the bust.
In addition to the nine people cited for gambling and illegal alcohol charges, another man, Maurice Wallace, 47, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for reckless driving.
The club's owner, Thomas Sexton, did not return multiple requests for comment Tuesday.
The bust is not the first time the club has been at the center of controversy. In September, 19-year-old Jasmine Akins was shot dead in a parking lot just across the street from the Chocolate City Club.
At the time, neighbors pointed a finger at the club and some people took to Facebook to demand it be closed. Some witnesses said that people were running from the club when the shooting started, but others denied that report.
Police said they weren't sure whether the confrontation that ended with Akins' death started at Chocolate City Club or started in the parking lot, where under-age teenagers tended to hang out and drink.
Sexton cooperated with police during the investigation into Akins' death and later told the Times Free Press that he ran a law-abiding business.
In addition to the gambling and alcohol citations. Sexton is scheduled to appear before the Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board on Nov. 20.
The Oct. 26 search warrant was served by police, regulators and the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.