Feds: Stripper Crew Drugged Rich Men

A crew of New York City strippers scammed wealthy men by spiking their drinks with "molly" or other drugs, then driving them to strip clubs that ran up tens of thousands of dollars on their credit cards while they were too wasted to stop it, authorities said today. A banker and a real estate attorney were among four unnamed victims who lost at least $200,000. DEA and NYPD investigators arrested four women—all described as professional strippers—earlier this week on charges including grand larceny, assault, and forgery; one of the women is expected to appear in state court in Manhattan later today following appearances yesterday by the other three, including suspected ringleader Samantha Barbash.

Investigators say the women arranged to meet the men at upscale bars in New York and Long Island, dosed them, then took them to Scores in Manhattan and the RoadHouse in Queens, where they were charged for private rooms, expensive meals, drinks, and other services. The clubs paid the women for the visits, but the establishments are not facing criminal charges, authorities say. The men reported waking up in their cars or in hotel rooms with little or no memory of the encounters. Those who tried to dispute the strip club bills allegedly received texts from the strippers threatening to go public with their transgressions. (More scam stories.)