Eight arrested in drug, gambling sting at Mundelein bar
The Fuel Bar & Grill marked its one-year anniversary in Mundelein on Wednesday night, but not in the way owners, employees and customers intended.
Owner Nick Asiuras and seven other people were arrested in the culmination of a two-month undercover police investigation into drug sales, gambling and other illicit activity at the bar, 330 Townline Road.
A bartender, bouncer and a patron each sold drugs to undercover officers during the investigation, authorities said. Additionally, the bar was running illegal bean-bag contests for money, police said.
Police Chief Raymond J. Rose will ask the village's liquor commission to revoke the bar's liquor license, officials said. The village may take additional action, Mundelein police Sgt. John Monahan said.
The arrests at the bar occurred about 10:40 p.m. Wednesday. They came exactly a year after the popular watering hole opened, Monahan said.
Asiuras, 36, of 1299 Farnsworth in Buffalo Grove, and manager Nick Apostolopoulos, 34, of 207 Benton in Bloomingdale, were charged with keeping a gambling place.
Bartender Michael Alexander, 24, of 1244 Christine Court in Vernon Hills, was charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and illegal sale of alcohol to a minor. Police said he sold cocaine to the undercover officers.
Bouncer Dana Dove, 38, of 6 Manchester Lane in Vernon Hills, was charged with two counts of a controlled substance. Police said he sold marijuana to the undercover officers.
Patron Justin Denton, 24, of 029 Lakeview Ave. in Mundelein, was charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. Police said he sold cocaine to undercover officers.
Patron Reynaldo Maldonado, 46, of 316 Pleasure Drive in Mundelein, was charged with possession of a controlled substance. He was carrying about 1 gram of cocaine when he was arrested, police said.
Another customer was arrested at his home on a warrant stemming from the investigation. Thomas Korshak, 25, of 2051 Kristina Court in Round Lake, was charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm without a valid firearm owner identification card, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Korshak sold cocaine to undercover officers, police said. When he was arrested, police found a 9 mm handgun and drug paraphernalia in his house, police said.
Additionally, patron Kelly Palmer, 20, of 1205 Georgetown Way in Vernon Hills, was arrested and charged with illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor.
The undercover investigation, which involved the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, began after police received complaints about drug sales, underage drinking and gambling there, Monahan said.
Police also received complaints that female customers had danced topless on the bar inside Fuel, and that a DJ was mixing clips from pornographic movies into videos at the bar, Monahan said.
As for the gambling allegation, the bar's MySpace page features references to the tournaments and photos of participating customers.
Palmer was released at the Mundelein police station after her arrest. The other suspects were taken to Lake County jail and had bond hearings Thursday, police said.
Asiuras, Apostolopoulos, Alexander and Maldonado were released from jail Thursday after posting bond. Denton, Dove and Korhsak remained in custody.
The bar was open Thursday. Asiuras could not be reached for comment.
It's the second run-in with the law for the Fuel Bar this year. In January, Asiuras was fined $600 by the Mundelein liquor commission after two employees were caught selling alcohol to patrons without first undergoing mandatory state training.