Dennis Hof squabbles with Nye County over brothel license renewals

Brothel owner Dennis Hof received renewals for his brothel licenses after a lengthy squabble with Nye County commissioners.

At the July 18 meeting, county commissioners temporarily approved existing gaming, liquor and brothel license renewals for 2017 and 2018 until all current fees are paid and compliance with Nye County Code is satisfied.

In a 3-1 vote, with commissioner Butch Borasky voting against the renewal, commissioners on Aug. 1 renewed Hof’s licenses for the Love Ranch South in Crystal, Dennis Hof’s Cat House, also in Crystal and Area 51 Death Valley Alien Cat House in Amargosa Valley.

The discussion turned testy when Nye County Commission Chairman Dan Schinhofen wanted to deny Hof’s request saying that Hof failed to remove the advertising signs that were located off his property. No off-property signs for brothels are allowed under Nye County ordinance.

Hof said there are two signs that advertise the Love Ranch Brothel, one in front of the property and another one on the corner of Ranch Road and Appaloosa Lane in Crystal.

Hof said the signs are for Cherry Patch LLC, a corporation that owns the brothel, but not the brothel itself. “The Love Ranch Brothel has always been called the Love Ranch Brothel,” Hof said. “Your staff has always put Cherry Patch, LLC. That’s not the name of the brothel, it’s the name of the ownership. So, it never had the word Cherry Patch as the brothel ownership. It was a misunderstanding on your part. I told this (to) Mr. Borasky five years ago, and he said he would take care of that and nothing ever happened.”

Borasky responded: “Mr. Hof, you made a statement that you had a conversation five years ago, and please don’t put words in my mouth, you’ve been pretty good in a paper about making all kinds of accusations, sir. We had a conversation. It was about 18-year-old prostitutes, and I told you to go to hell. That’s the only conversation we had. Don’t say that I promised you anything because I did not.”

With assurance from Hof that the sign will be down and he will do no off-property advertising for his properties, and comply with the county codes, Nye County commissioners approved his licenses.

“If you are troubled about that sign as an identifier (it’s) because Tony DeMeo asked me to put that sign because he didn’t want people driving around that neighborhood in Crystal looking for a brothel,” Hof said in reference to the former Nye County sheriff. “I can remove that sign in 20 minutes.”

Hof owns two operating brothels and holds a license for a third. License fees renewals for the three establishments come to $29,000.

Although Hof doesn’t own Sheri’s Ranch and Chicken Ranch, the licenses for those establishments also were approved with Borasky voting against it.

Commissioners also sparred with Hof over a liquor license for Cherry Patch Bar/Mabel’s Brothel Museum. Commissioners initially thought the facility serves as a brothel, but Hof told them it does not.

Hof’s liquor license for a non-operating entity, bar-restaurant Cherry Patch Bar/Mabel’s Brothel Museum, initially was approved with a stipulation that no prostitutes could ever work in that property. However, Nye County District Attorney Angela Bello said that Nye County commissioners couldn’t restrict people of legal age from going to the property, and added that if there is solicition, it would be handled by the sheriff’s office.

Cherry Patch Bar/Mabel’s Brothel Museum is a non-operating entity that’s set to open in the next 60 days, Hof said. A liquor license for the establishment has been in effect for seven years.

Borasky was the only one to vote against it.

“I have a real issue for approving a liquor license for non-existing facility. I’m sorry, I can’t support that,” Borasky said.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77