Liquor Board moves to close Chuck’s Place

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

A bar within the sightlines of Patterson Park, neighborhood schools and an arts and entertainment attraction stands to lose its liquor license permanently for drug trafficking.
The Baltimore Board of Liquor License Commisssions handed down its judgment last week, against Chuck’s Place, a bar located in the 3100 block of Eastern Avenue. The decision? To close the bar based on findings made by both the liquor board and the Baltimore Police Department.
According to paperwork supplied by the liquor board, the bar was found to be in violation of Rule 4.16, which states, “No licensee shall allow his premises to be used for the purpose of possession, transfer or use of any narcotic drug.”
Investigation into violations taking place at the bar began in summer 2007, according to paperwork supplied by the liquor board.
During the course of the investigation, an informant was able to purchase cocaine from a barmaid. Police recorded activity around the bar including individuals walking in, then walking out a few minutes later – behavior consistent with drug activity.
A police report made on August 24 notes that officers executed a search and seizure warrant on the premises and recovered $11,649 cash as well as a total of 12 baggies containing white powder.
“Suspected cocaine powder was recovered from the kitchen,” stated Douglas Paige, public information officer for the liquor board. “Suspected cocaine powder was also recovered from the trash can behind the bar.”
Although the liquor board is able to close the bar based on such findings, noted Paige, the bar is technically able to remain open because its owners have indicated that they will appeal the board’s decision.
Any appeal must be filed within 30 days, he noted.
Melvin Kodenski, attorney for Chuck’s Place, did not return a phone call asking for comment on the matter. Phone calls made to Chuck’s Place in an attempt to reach Raymond Monk, listed on liquor board transcripts as the owner, were unsuccessful.
Stephan W. Fogelman, chairman of the liquor board, noted that during the hearing, “the defense of the licensee was that he did not allow the violation of the rule. The licensee claimed he was out of town every August.”
Which, he added, didn’t fly with the board, which has no patience which what board members termed an “absentee owner.”
“We believe that you can allow for the sale of drugs to occur through neglect. We believe he was being an absentee owner or that he was aware of what was going on incidentally. A liquor license is a privilege and in his case, we believe that privilege was grossly violated in the public’s trust.”
The strongholds of the neighborhood, Fogelman added – the park, the schools, the shops and others who are doing their best to revitalize the neighborhood – stood to be badly injured by what was going on, were drug dealing to continue unimpeded.
“The Creative Alliance and the Patterson Theater are incredibly valuable. We can not endorse such conduct.”