EVERETT, Wash. (TheBlaze/AP) — The owner of controversial bikini coffee stands in Washington state banked more than $2 million in just three years because her baristas were also selling sex acts, authorities said.
Former nude dancer Carmela Panico, 52, was charged with promoting prostitution and money laundering by Snohomish County prosecutors, who allege she was the madam of drive-thru brothels throughout the county north of Seattle.
Image source: KOMO-TV
Image source: KOMO-TV
To wit: Baristas would expose their breasts and genitals and charge for sex acts, according to court documents.
Java Juggs Espresso in Everett was equipped with a stripper pole, KOMO-TV noted. Other stands were dubbed Twin Peaks, Bella Butterscotch and the Hot Spot, the New York Daily News noted.
Image source: KOMO-TV
Image source: KOMO-TV
The Everett Herald reported Saturday that Panico’s attorney told the court she is no longer in the coffee business and has sold off some of her stands and leased others. In a raid last year, investigators found $250,000 at Panico’s home.
Her profit margin at times was twice that of well-run, established coffee stands, the Herald reported, citing deputy prosecutor Bob Hendrix. The paper added that Panico allegedly under-reported her earnings to the Internal Revenue Service, dealing in large quantities of cash.
More from the Herald:
She bought property and coffee huts with other cash, sometimes bringing along a money counter to dole out the bills. Her baristas reported making hundreds of thousands of dollars out of her stands, working mainly for tips. The women told cops the price for a cup of coffee started at $6 and customers typically paid with a $20 bill. The baristas kept the rest to shake their breasts or expose their genitals. They charged more for sex acts with the droves of men who stopped at the stands, mainly located along Highway 99 in Snohomish County.
One barista told investigators she earned half a million dollars working at Panico’s stands, the Herald reported.
The investigation also resulted in the prosecution of a veteran sheriff’s sergeant. Darrell O’Neill is accused of tipping off Panico and baristas to ongoing police investigations in return for sexual favors. The 30-veteran resigned after his arrest but pleaded not guilty to the charges, the Herald reported.