Three men and five women were arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly operating illegal after-hours clubs in Orange County.
According to OCSO, its After-Hours Clubs Strike Team arrested eight individuals last month – Belinda Rojas, Jose Nieves Castro, Yeni LaJaramora, Carlisle Thompson, Andrew Campbell, Chevonne Magloire, Janice Kelly, and Shade White – for selling alcoholic beverages without a license, conspiracy to violate beverage laws, illegally transporting liquor, and running illegal after-hours clubs.
One of the above club owners previously owned Upstate Hall, an illegal after-hours bar on South Orange Blossom Trail where several victims were shot in one night this past December.
“Opening a new illegal club after we caught you in the past? WE SEE YOU,” stated OCSO in a social media post.
The sheriff’s office stated that it is committed to cracking down on illegal clubs since these venues are “notorious for attracting criminal activity and violence.”
Orange County Sheriff John Mina has pushed for harsher penalties for illegal alcohol sales in the state of Florida. That legislation, which goes into effect on July 1, 2024, will make illegal alcohol sales a felony.
The sheriff’s office stated that the new legislation will provide law enforcement officers with a “powerful tool” to help safeguard local communities by eliminating dangerous illegal clubs.