Strip Club Owner, Family Members Plead Guilty to Prostitution and Tax Fraud

Defendants agree to over $700,000 in restitution; XXXV Club to face five years of monitoring following criminal investigation

NEW BRUNSWICK — Multiple defendants connected to a Sayreville strip club pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, to charges linked to operating the establishment as a house of prostitution and failing to report associated income. The resolution follows a wide-ranging investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) into activities at the XXXV Club on Route 35.

“The guilty pleas in this case underscore that illegal business dealings and tax cheating are not worth it. Those crimes will not go undetected and, once they’re uncovered, they will be prosecuted,” said Attorney General Platkin.

Doreen Acciardi, the owner of the club, and her husband, Anthony Acciardi Sr., of Freehold Township, each pleaded guilty to maintaining a nuisance by operating a house of prostitution—a fourth-degree offense—and to a third-degree charge of failure to pay income tax. In accepting the plea, the couple agreed to pay approximately $705,000 in overdue taxes and penalties to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. They will also forfeit $420,000 in cash seized during the investigation, which will be applied toward the tax settlement.

The legal entity operating the venue, 35 Club, LLC, pleaded guilty to operating a sexually oriented business in violation of state law. As part of the court agreement, the club will be subject to independent monitoring through January 1, 2030. The monitoring will include unrestricted access to closed-circuit surveillance and in-person inspections.

“My office will pursue and prosecute those who use lawful businesses as fronts for illegal activity and those who try to avoid paying the taxes they owe,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. “The monitoring put in place as a result of this case is intended to ensure 35 Club cleans up its act.”

In related pleas, Acciboys, LLC—an entity that owned ATMs in the club and was controlled by Anthony Acciardi Jr. and Stephen Acciardi—also admitted to maintaining a nuisance. Both men, along with employees Jeanine Nichols and Jason Portes, were admitted to a three-year pretrial intervention program and must pay mandatory fines. Stephen Acciardi also agreed to repay back taxes owed to the state.

The resolution includes a recommendation of probation sentences for the primary defendants: three years for Anthony Acciardi Sr. and two years for Doreen Acciardi, contingent upon their full compliance with the terms imposed on their businesses. Charges against Alana, Inc., the company that owns the club’s property, will be dismissed as part of the broader agreement.

According to publicly filed documents, investigators found that the club facilitated prostitution, with dancers engaging in sexual acts with patrons in VIP rooms. The investigation also revealed that income generated from the unlawful activity was not properly reported for taxation purposes.

The case was prosecuted by the OPIA Corruption Bureau under Deputy Attorney General Amanda Nini, Deputy Director Michael Breslin, and Bureau Co-Director Eric Gibson, with oversight from OPIA Executive Director Thomas Eicher.