Warrenton club loses its ABC permits
Oct. 4—WARRENTON — North Carolina's ABC Commission has taken away a Warrenton club's temporary permits to sell malt beverages and mixed drinks, and denied its application for a permanent set of serving permits.
Its Sept. 30 decision said the operation of Roxie's Sports Bar & Lounge at 109 S. Hall St. "would be detrimental to the neighborhood" around it, because of the evidence of "fighting, disorderly conduct and other dangerous activities" that's accumulated this year.
Commission officials cited two of four shootings that have occurred at or near the club this year — one on Sept. 25 that injured two men, and another on Jan. 30 that injured two juveniles.
They also acknowledged complaints about the club from the Warrenton Police Department, and from neighboring merchants who've "complained about the violence at the location" and said they "do not feel safe when the location is open."
Warrenton Police Chief Goble Lane — who wrote the commission in the summer asking it to terminate the club's temporary permits — said he received notification about the decision on Friday afternoon. He added that Roxie's was "closed over the weekend."
"One thing it does prove is that not all locations are suitable for every type of establishment," Lane said when asked for his takeaways about the affair. "This butts up to neighborhoods."
It's also "difficult for small [law enforcement] agencies with limited resources to be able to police establishments that have a high volume of incidents and stuff like that happening at them," Lane said.
Club manager Mario Gills declined comment. A call to the number on file for him with the ABC Commission yielded a recording that said he was "unavailable or has traveled outside the coverage area" of his phone service. The number did not accept voicemail. He proved reachable at a second number that was on file with the N.C. Secretary of State, on a corporate filing for Xclusive Entertainment & Transport, the owner of record for Roxie's.
The ABC Commission's decision to reject the club's permit application entirely — unlike its decision to yank the temporary permits — is appealable. Starting on Sept. 30, the club's ownership has 60 days to request a hearing and provide facts "tending to show you are entitled to the permits," the commission notice said.
A N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement spokeswoman, Erin Bean, confirmed last week that "special agents" from ALE were "conducting an investigation into the incident" at Roxie's and would "report any findings to the ABC Commission."
The rejection notice alleged that the Sept. 25 shooting followed "a physical altercation" that "occurred inside the location between several patrons."
Club security "forced the fight and other patrons outside of the building and into the parking lot area where the fight continued," it said, adding that gunshots were heard "near the front entrance of the location."
"Permittee and other staff were present at the location but did not contact local law enforcement regarding the brawl or the shooting," the notice said.
The Jan. 30 shooting incident yielded video that showed a vehicle "leaving the location" and driving by again. "Several shots can be seen coming from the vehicle," the notice said.
It "crashed and a second shooter began firing a gun toward the front entrance of the location," the notice said, adding that "shell casings were found near the same area."
The ABC Commission notice said there were additional violations at the club, including an August 2021 finding by Warrenton police that patrons were drinking in the club after hours, and an October 2021 admission by a club employee "to consuming alcohol beverages while or after performing work duties" in violation of state regulations.
Also, promises of having one guard for every 60 patrons weren't kept, including on Sept. 25, and despite an announced no-loitering policy, "patrons have been allowed to remain at the location on several occasions and the policy is otherwise not enforced," the commission alleged.
Lane said the victims of the Sept. 25 shooting have been released from the hospital and are home recovering. The Police Department's investigation of the incident continues.
"We haven't made an arrest yet but we do have a suspect," he said. "We're still working the case and trying to make sure we have everything we need to make that arrest."
Roxie's had received its temporary permits from the ABC Commission on March 2, 2020, and at some point last month had received a 90-day renewal of them that was good through Dec. 22.
Contact Ray Gronberg at rgronberg@hendersondispatch.com or by phone at 252-436-2850.
Contact Ray Gronberg at rgronberg@hendersondispatch.com or by phone at 252-436-2850.
