NORTH WEBSTER – Five people were arrested Wednesday night after a three-month investigation into alleged corruption at Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club. Multiple agencies began an investigation into alleged corrupt business practices at Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club, 114 E. Washington St., North Webster, in July, according to Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Chad Hill. The investigation culminated Wednesday around 10 p.m. in five arrests including the owner of the business, Samuel Scott Stimmel, 64, of 7227 N. Syracuse Webster Road, North Webster. Hill said the investigation began on suspicion of synthetic drug dealing out of the business, though the arrests Wednesday were on charges of promoting prostitution. Undercover officers performed the raid Wednesday out of an area hotel and entered the establishment to execute the arrests. Two search warrants were executed at three locations including the club, an adjacent business also owned by Stimmel and a semi trailer parked outside of Stimmelators. Hill said officers were able to recover a large amount of cash and synthetic drug substances from the trailer. As a result of the raid, Stimmel was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on preliminary charges of corrupt business influence and promoting prostitution and was held on a $100,000 bond. Other arrests included Kelly Joe Whitman, 23, South Bend, for promoting prostitution; Kimberly Kay Gill, 32, South Bend, for promoting prostitution; Donn Lee Rupert, 51, South Bend, for promoting prostitution; and Christine Marie Bennett, 27, Warsaw, for promoting prostitution. All were held on a $5,000 bond. Responding agencies included Indiana State Police, KCSD and the North Webster, Warsaw, Syracuse and Pierceton police departments.
