The owners of a floating strip club in Alaska are facing allegations that they illegally dumped human waste into a harbor, and it's not the first time they've been accused of illicit activities.
An indictment from Feb. 18 alleges that Darren Byler and Kimberly Riedel-Byler pumped raw sewage into a harbor near Kodiak instead of disposing of it three miles offshore, The Associated Press reports. Byler pleaded not guilty on Monday, and told AP they never pumped into the channel or lied about it to anyone. Riedel-Byler is expected to be arrested soon.
The Wild Alaskan was once a crabbing boat, but now it features a small stage surrounded by folding chairs and a bar, with patrons arriving by water taxi. Since opening in June 2014, the club has had its fair share of issues: It was briefly shut down after someone reported that the water taxis had too many people on board, and the boat itself was found to have inoperable navigation sidelights, expired inflatable devices on two life rafts, and an expired personal location beacon. In December, the liquor license was revoked over concerns about Byler's common carrier license.
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Byler believes he is being targeted because of the nature of his establishment. "Let's face it, this is business," he told AP. "It's nothing personal. And by the way, this business has been around for a while. I didn't invent it." He plans to open up the Wild Alaskan again in the spring.
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