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21-Count Indictment Charges 10 for Racketeering, Operating Brothel Out of NJ Strip Club
State Grand Jury Indicts Ten in Connection with a Multimillion-Dollar Prostitution Ring; Over $720,000 Seized from Owners' Residence.
In a significant crackdown on organized crime, the New Jersey State Grand Jury has indicted ten individuals, including seven family members, and three corporate entities for running a multimillion-dollar prostitution ring out of Club XXXV, a strip club in Sayreville. This follows a detailed investigation led by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
The Defendants
The indictment targets Anthony Acciardi Sr., Doreen Acciardi, Stephen Acciardi, Anthony Acciardi Jr., Jennifer Hecker, Jeannine Nichols, Jason Portes, and three corporate entities: Acciboys, LLC; 35 Club, LLC; and Alana, Inc.
The Charges
Charges include racketeering, conspiracy, financial facilitation of criminal activity, promoting prostitution, and various tax-related offenses.
The defendants are charged with the following offenses:
Anthony Acciardi Sr., 59, of Freehold Township
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity – 1st Degree (3 counts)
- Promoting Organized Street Crime – 2nd Degree
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
- Misconduct by a Corporate Official – 2nd Degree
- Filing Fraudulent Tax Return – 3rd Degree
- Failure to Pay Income Taxes – 3rd Degree
- Failure to File Tax Returns – 3rd Degree
- Maintaining a Nuisance – 4th Degree
- Maintaining a Sexually Oriented Business – 4th Degree
- Falsifying Records – 4th Degree
Doreen Livingston, aka Doreen Acciardi, 56, of Freehold Township
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity – 1st Degree (3 counts)
- Promoting Organized Street Crime – 2nd Degree
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
- Maintaining a Sexually Oriented Business – 4th Degree
- Misconduct by a Corporate Official – 2nd Degree
- Filing Fraudulent Tax Return – 3rd Degree
- Failure to Pay Income Taxes – 3rd Degree
- Failure to File Tax Returns – 3rd Degree
- Failure to Pay Business Income Taxes – 3rd Degree
- Maintaining a Nuisance – 4th Degree
- Falsifying Records – 4th Degree
- Filing Fraudulent Business Tax Return – 3rd Degree
Anthony Acciardi Jr., 30, of Old Bridge
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity – 1st Degree (3 counts)
- Promoting Organized Street Crime – 2nd Degree
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
- Maintaining a Nuisance – 4th Degree
- Maintaining a Sexually Oriented Business – 4th Degree
- Misconduct by a Corporate Official – 2nd Degree
Stephen Acciardi, 26, of Freehold
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Maintaining a Sexually Oriented Business – 4th Degree
- Promoting Organized Street Crime – 2nd Degree
- Maintaining a Nuisance – 4th Degree
- Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity – 1st Degree (3 counts)
- Filing Fraudulent Tax Return – 3rd Degree
- Failure to Pay Income Taxes – 3rd Degree
- Failure to File Tax Returns – 3rd Degree
- Failure to Pay Business Income Taxes – 3rd Degree
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
- Misconduct by a Corporate Official – 2nd Degree
- Misconduct by a Corporate Official – 2nd Degree
- Falsifying Records – 4th Degree
- Filing Fraudulent Business Tax Return – 3rd Degree
Jason Portes, 41, of South Amboy
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
Jeanine Nichols, 59, of South Amboy
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
Jennifer Hecker, 45, of Parlin
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity – 2nd Degree
- Theft by Deception – 3rd Degree
- Filing Fraudulent Tax Return – 3rd Degree
- Failure to Pay Income Taxes – 3rd Degree
Acciboys, LLC
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity – 1st Degree (3 counts)
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
35 Club, LLC, d/b/a Club XXXV
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity – 1st Degree (3 counts)
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
- Filing Fraudulent Business Tax Return – 3rd Degree
Alana, Inc.
- Conspiracy – 2nd Degree
- Racketeering – 1st Degree
- Promoting Prostitution – 3rd Degree
The Investigation
Spanning several years, the investigation centered on Club XXXV, located along Route 35 in Sayreville, following reports of illicit activities from 2019 to 2021.
In-depth scrutiny revealed the club as a prostitution front, generating millions and involving complex financial maneuvers to mask the income's illicit origins. Significant sums in cash, gold, and silver were seized from the Acciardis' Freehold Township home. Evidence of prostitution, including condoms and sex toys, was found at the club.
“Our investigation determined that the operators of Club XXXV were using various illegal means to turn their club into a multimillion-dollar racket,” said Attorney General Platkin. “We allege that these defendants enriched themselves unlawfully, masked the illicit sources of their income, and generated a host of quality-of-life issues for the residents of their community.”
The Penalty
The accused face severe penalties, with first-degree charges potentially leading to 20 years in state prison. The prosecution team, led by OPIA Deputy Attorneys General and supported by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, will oversee the trial proceedings.
The investigation benefited from the Sayreville Police Department, the Middlesex County Guns, Gangs and Drugs Task Force, and the New Jersey Treasury Department's Criminal Investigations Office.
