Editor’s Note: Information has been retracted from this article due to concern for the personal safety of a particular individual.
Update: All charges against Jill L. Tompkins were dropped in subsequent legal proceedings.
Ulster County Police continued their vice crackdown with the arrest of three dancers at the Blue Moon Cabaret located at 534 Main St. in an undercover sting operation on Friday, Jan. 20. This is the second operation conducted in this location as three dancers were previously arrested and charged with prostitution in September of 2016.
Undercover officers of Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT) posed as patrons and received offers for specific sexual activity in exchange for money from three out of the six dancers working that night. At the end of the night, the three dancers were arrested with assistance from New Paltz Police uniformed patrols.
“In the course of discussion with the dancers they would be solicited for private dances, the discussions would include what activities they would include and in instances where specific sexual activity was discussed in exchange for money those dancers were arrested at the end of the night,” said Lieutenant Abram Markewicz.
Jill L. Tompkins, 47, of Westkill and Honeysue Miller, 28, of Poughkeepsie were each arrested for prostitution, a misdemeanor, and issued appearance tickets returnable to New Paltz Court and released.
According to Markewicz, URGENT turned their attention back to Blue Moon Cabaret because they were notified by local officers in New Paltz of complaints about prostitution, drug transaction and drug activity in that location. He added that it is up to the management and owner of the establishment to ensure that illegal activity does not continue at this location.
“We will continue to do our enforcement there, we may visit them again soon, we may not,” he said. “It has been represented to me that the management have taken some corrective steps to ensure this doesn’t happen anymore, but whether or not that has actually occurred or if it will be effective, time will tell.”
After several calls to the restaurant, Blue Moon Cabaret declined to comment on the charges or any corrective measures taken as a result of the arrests.