About 400 people have been busted in Manhattan after attending a massive party organized at a mansion in Brookhaven over the holiday weekend, NYPD cops said.
The gathering of 393 people defied the current CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus emergency orders, which only allows small gatherings of a maximum of 10 people.
In addition, police also said the “illegal bottle club” had no legitimate liquor license or warehouse liquor as required by liquor laws in New York.
Four people in charge of organizing the event, including a D.J., were charged with penal, health, and alcohol beverage control laws, according to a post on the NYC Sheriff’s Twitter page.
11/28/20 @ 0245 HRS: Deputy Sheriffs shut down illegal bottle club @ 202 West 36th St, NY: 393+ people, violation of emergency orders, no liquor license, warehousing liquor, 4 organizers charged with offenses for penal, health, alcohol beverage control laws & arrest warrant. pic.twitter.com/5zXIwuRkrG
— NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) November 28, 2020
The Sheriff’s department added several pictures together with the police statement, adding that the restaurant that is seen in the photo with the name “Pig ‘n’ Whistle” was not the location of the illegal party, but a commercial space next to it.
After the owner of “Pig ‘n’ Whistle” notified police to indicate it was not his business that was involved and asked them to solve this, the department released another statement, saying the commercial place was on 202 West 36th St. in New York.
Please note location for enforcement last night was not @pignwhistleon36 but commercial space next door @ 202 West 36th St, NY. as indicated in tweet. Owner of business asked if we could indicate it was not his restaurant involved. https://t.co/BEWs7nRm2X
— NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) November 28, 2020
Dozens of liquid bottles were confiscated by of NYPD officials, authorities said.
Four people were charged, including a D.J. working at the club at the time of the raid, according to the statement. They are facing multiple offenses, including violating the COVID-19 restriction orders.
The accused partygoers and organizers who were taken into custody have all been identified as between the ages of 27 and 36, according to the Daily Mail.
One person among them was the organizer of the party. That person has since been charged with criminal weapon possession, obstructing government operations, among several others.
As of Nov. 30, New York City has seen 289,013 people infected with the CCP virus, as well as 19,582 confirmed deaths.
The massive bust came just two days after another raid on Thanksgiving day where deputies found at least 76 people inside a club on Junction Boulevard in Queens, according to NBC New York.
For several weeks, officials have cracked down on large gatherings that could spread COVID-19 faster. Earlier this year during the Halloween period, the state’s mayor, Bill De Blasio, ordered a crackdown on large gatherings and urged New Yorkers to avoid traveling.
“We cannot have big gatherings, we cannot have big indoor events,” the mayor said during a press briefing at the time. “If people want to trick-or-treat outdoors [in] small groups with masks on, that’s great. Big gatherings, parties—that’s not great at all.”
The organizer of last weekend’s massive event is facing a fine of up to $15,000 among the nuisance and violating public health law charges, according to Newsday.
GQ Pan contributed to this report.
