Failure to Appear Warrant Issued for Arrestee in Stimmelators Case

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Kaitie Vanderpool-

Kelly Joe Whitman, 24, South Bend, one of five people arrested following an investigation into Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club last year, failed to appear for her initial hearing Thursday morning.
A bench warrant for her arrest has been issued.
Whitman was arrested Oct. 31. She is charged with felony promoting prostitution and misdemeanor prostitution.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office, undercover officers with the Syracuse Police Department were conducting an investigation of prostitution Oct. 24 at Stimmelator’s Gentlemen’s Club in North Webster. The officers arranged for a private party with the club’s owner, Sam Stimmel, and Whitman, who worked as a dancer at the club, for $1,000.
The private party was to include three dancers and was to occur at the Wyndham Inn, 2519 E. Center St., Warsaw. One officer also arranged for a private party with sexual favors with Whitman. But Whitman allegedly told the officer that when dancers perform sexual favors, the dancer splits the money with Stimmel. She also advised she agreed to this arrangement with Stimmel.
After making the arrangement, the officer met with Whitman and Stimmel together and Stimmel reportedly advised he was aware of the agreement the officer had made with Whitman. Stimmel said instead of paying $1,000 for the party, the officer would now be charged $1,800 for the new arrangement.
On Oct. 30, Stimmel and three dancers, along with a male subject later identified as Donn Rupert, 51, South Bend, arrived at the Wyndham Inn. After arriving, one officer spoke with two dancers, Kimberly Gill, 32, South Bend, and Christine Bennett, 28, Warsaw, who both agreed to manually stimulate him in exchange for $100 each.
A second officer spoke with Whitman about a dance in the private room, then spoke with Stimmel about the private dance. Stimmel advised a third party needed to be present. The officer gave Stimmel $400 and the officer, Whitman and Rupert entered the private room. When inside, the officer gave Whitman $300 for manual stimulation and offered Rupert $100 to leave the room.
Rupert exited and Whitman allegedly pulled the officer onto the bed and attempted to perform a manual sexual act. Officers then entered the room and made several arrests.
Officers later spoke with Bennett, who advised she was aware that Whitman went into the private room with one of the officers because she was paid for sexual favors. She also advised she was aware money had been given to Stimmel, and also to Rupert to leave the room.
Whitman later admitted she took $300 in exchange for a sexual favor.
Undercover officers also performed a raid of Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club, an adjacent business and a semi trailer parked outside of Stimmelators where they recovered a large amount of cash and synthetic drug substances.
As a result, Stimmel has been charged with corrupt business influence, two counts of dealing a synthetic drug lookalike substance, dealing in a Schedule I, II or III controlled substance and promoting prostitution. Gill and Bennett have been charged with misdemeanor prostitution and Rupert has been charged with felony promoting prostitution.
Stimmel’s financial accounts were later frozen in November and has since been unable to use the accounts for business transactions, though a hearing to release the accounts is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. Additionally, a pretrial conference has been scheduled for Jan. 30 at 8:30 a.m.[[In-content Ad]]

Kelly Joe Whitman, 24, South Bend, one of five people arrested following an investigation into Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club last year, failed to appear for her initial hearing Thursday morning.
A bench warrant for her arrest has been issued.
Whitman was arrested Oct. 31. She is charged with felony promoting prostitution and misdemeanor prostitution.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office, undercover officers with the Syracuse Police Department were conducting an investigation of prostitution Oct. 24 at Stimmelator’s Gentlemen’s Club in North Webster. The officers arranged for a private party with the club’s owner, Sam Stimmel, and Whitman, who worked as a dancer at the club, for $1,000.
The private party was to include three dancers and was to occur at the Wyndham Inn, 2519 E. Center St., Warsaw. One officer also arranged for a private party with sexual favors with Whitman. But Whitman allegedly told the officer that when dancers perform sexual favors, the dancer splits the money with Stimmel. She also advised she agreed to this arrangement with Stimmel.
After making the arrangement, the officer met with Whitman and Stimmel together and Stimmel reportedly advised he was aware of the agreement the officer had made with Whitman. Stimmel said instead of paying $1,000 for the party, the officer would now be charged $1,800 for the new arrangement.
On Oct. 30, Stimmel and three dancers, along with a male subject later identified as Donn Rupert, 51, South Bend, arrived at the Wyndham Inn. After arriving, one officer spoke with two dancers, Kimberly Gill, 32, South Bend, and Christine Bennett, 28, Warsaw, who both agreed to manually stimulate him in exchange for $100 each.
A second officer spoke with Whitman about a dance in the private room, then spoke with Stimmel about the private dance. Stimmel advised a third party needed to be present. The officer gave Stimmel $400 and the officer, Whitman and Rupert entered the private room. When inside, the officer gave Whitman $300 for manual stimulation and offered Rupert $100 to leave the room.
Rupert exited and Whitman allegedly pulled the officer onto the bed and attempted to perform a manual sexual act. Officers then entered the room and made several arrests.
Officers later spoke with Bennett, who advised she was aware that Whitman went into the private room with one of the officers because she was paid for sexual favors. She also advised she was aware money had been given to Stimmel, and also to Rupert to leave the room.
Whitman later admitted she took $300 in exchange for a sexual favor.
Undercover officers also performed a raid of Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club, an adjacent business and a semi trailer parked outside of Stimmelators where they recovered a large amount of cash and synthetic drug substances.
As a result, Stimmel has been charged with corrupt business influence, two counts of dealing a synthetic drug lookalike substance, dealing in a Schedule I, II or III controlled substance and promoting prostitution. Gill and Bennett have been charged with misdemeanor prostitution and Rupert has been charged with felony promoting prostitution.
Stimmel’s financial accounts were later frozen in November and has since been unable to use the accounts for business transactions, though a hearing to release the accounts is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. Additionally, a pretrial conference has been scheduled for Jan. 30 at 8:30 a.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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