WOODSIDE, Queens — The owner of an illegal bar and hookah lounge in Queens allegedly attacked New York City sheriffs when deputies busted a gathering on Sunday, officials said.
The deputies watched several people go into the Roosevelt Avenue location near 67th Street on Saturday. Shortly after midnight, they tried to go inside, but they “were met with immediate violence and resistance to process,” officials said.
They arrested 41-year-old owner Marco Chacon on charges of obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and organizing a non-essential mass gathering.
There were about 75 customers inside; 63 face $1,000 fines for participating in a non-essential mass gathering inside of an unlicensed establishment.
Doors were “heavily fortified and posed a grave risk to life in the event of a fire or other emergency,” officials said. Investigators also determined there was a dangerous level of carbon monoxide being vented into the nightclub space.
