Liquor License Police Department Recommendation - D's Jerk Hut.pdf

City of Phoenix — Formal (2021-09-08)

Extracted text (via ocr_local) 12737 characters

LIQUOR LICENSE DISAPPROVAL FORM

Police Department Liquor License Disapproval Recommendation

| Application Information

The Police Department recommends disapproval of this liquor license application for
the following reasons:

A.R.S. 4-203.A states “A spirituous liquor license shall be issued only after satisfactory
showing of the capability, qualification and reliability of the applicant”

Applicant Celeste Reytor applied for this license within the City of Phoenix. A review of the
applicant and background revealed that she is not capable, qualified or reliable for the
following reasons:

Upon receiving this application for review, Detective Hurt, on July 12, 2021, called D’s Jerk
Hut at the listed business phone number, 602-314-6817. This call was to set up an
interview with applicant Ms. Reytor. A male subject answered the phone and said that Ms.
Reytor was not there while stating “let me call her’. Detective Hurt asked that the male give
Ms. Reytor a message to call him. A short while later contact was made with Ms. Reytor
via telephone. It was learned that she was not in town nor did she have a potential return
date. Ms. Reytor admitted during the call that her husband was in fact at the business but
stated “he only goes in and out”. When asked who was running the business Ms. Reytor
stated she was but also stated she was currently on the east coast. When questioned
about doing an in-person interview, Ms. Reytor became defensive and asked if it was
necessary. When told that it was, Ms. Reytor explained that she did not know when she
would be back but then provided options for a possible one to two-week return. During this
discussion she was advised that due to time limitations an interview needed to take place
sooner rather than later as there were items within the application which may need to be
addressed. Ms. Reytor was further advised that she could possibly get a time extension
from licensing if she so requested. Ms. Reytor was given the city of Phoenix's licensing’s
contact number at that time as well to assist her.

While reviewing Ms. Reytor’s application, the application provided D’s Jerk Hut LLC as
owner of the business while listing Ms. Reytor as the manager/controlling person.
According to the Arizona Corporation Commission Ms. Reytor is the only person listed on
or within this LLC. An open source media search revealed, Nerron Duncan, date of birth
11/09/1982, who is listed as her husband on her application, as a listed member and
manager for the LLC.

Ms. Reytor requested and received a time extension from the city License Services to
address any issues with the application. After which Ms. Reytor called Detective Hurt to set
a date for an interview. Due to scheduling conflicts the date Ms. Reytor requested could
not be accommodated. Det. Hurt explained that he would re-contact her later to set
another date. Det. Hurt later went to the location of the business, 15220 N. Cave Creek
Road, to contact Ms. Reytor in person about an interview. Ms. Reytor was not present at
the business. Det. Hurt called the business back later that same day, again at the business
contact number 602-314-6817. A male subject answered the phone and said that she was
not there. Det Hurt asked that the male give Ms. Reytor another message to call him. |

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LIQUOR LICENSE DISAPPROVAL FORM

Police Department Liquor License Disapproval Recommendation

| Application Information |

Business Name D’s Jerk Hut District [ 3 |
Business Location 15220 N. Cave Creek Road
ApplicantName __| Celeste Reytor Series Type | 12 |

As Det. Hurt was never contacted by Ms. Reytor after leaving the message, later on July
27, 2021 he again went to the business to contact her in person. Again, Ms. Reytor was
not present. Det.Hurt spoke with her husband Nerron Duncan who was clearly running the
business. Mr. Duncan called Ms. Reytor in Det. Hurt’s presence via his cellular phone.

Det. Hurt explained that he stopped in to talk with Ms. Reytor, yet Ms. Reytor was not there.
Ms. Reytor stated, “I just stepped out” and that she had another appointment and could not
be there. Det. Hurt explained that he would call again later to discuss the application.

After getting off the phone with Ms. Reytor, Det. Hurt asked to take a look around the
business. Ms. Reytor’s husband, Nerron Duncan, walked Det. Hurt around the business.
Mr. Duncan first pointed out what appeared to be a beer tap where he stated the alcohol
would be situated or sold from. Mr. Duncan opened the cabinet where the kegs would be
located and they were empty, except for some tools which were there appearing to still be
working on the item. The business was clearly still being remodeled or worked on as there
were additional tools in at least two other locations within the business. Mr. Duncan
opened the refrigerator where their food was supposedly kept, and it was mostly empty.
While continuing to walk through the business, Mr. Duncan showed Det. Hurt what was
marked as the manager’s office on the business floorplan. The office had a tool kart with
tools on it which Mr. Duncan had to walk around to get into. Mr. Duncan explained that the
office was going to be the area where the liquor was secured indicating that they were
planning on building or putting in a locker which was not yet there.

Det. Hurt and Mr. Duncan ended the business walk through back in the main entrance
area. Mr. Duncan again went behind the counter where a female employee was also
located and working. Det. Hurt asked Mr. Duncan if he was the manager of the business
as he knew all the details and plans, locations of everything and was obviously in charge
based on his interactions with the other employees on site. There was one cook, a handy-
man, and the female who was in the cashier area behind the counter where he now stood.
Mr. Duncan quickly stated “no, she is going to be the manager” while pointing to the female
near the register. The female turned and looked surprised. Det. Hurt asked the female if
she was going to be a manager, she stated “I guess so, just a minute ago | was just the
food prepper” (laughing). Jokingly Det. Hurt said that it better come with a pay raise to
which she smiled and excitedly stated “Oh..| hope”. Det. Hurt then left the business.

On August 2, Det. Hurt phoned the business at 602-314-6817, the listed business phone
number. This was at approximately 1104 hours, after the business is said to be open, there
was no answer. Det. Hurt again called the business at 1203 hours with no answer, this
time leaving a message for Ms. Reytor to call him on the answering machine. Later, at
approximately 1340 hours Det. Hurt called Ms. Reytor on her cellular phone. He
immediately asked if she was at the business to which she replied “no, actually | stepped
out”. Det. Hurt asked when she would be back to the business to which she stated
“hmmm... wasn’t gonna come back till late tonight...because | have stuff going”. Ms.
Reytor later contradicted this statement in the interview by saying that she would not be at
the business until Wednesday.

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LIQUOR LICENSE DISAPPROVAL FORM

Police Department Liquor License Disapproval Recommendation

| Application Information |

Det. Hurt asked Ms. Reytor if she had any experience in operating a business which sold or
sells liquor. She said that she did not. She also stated that she did not have any liquor
training while adding “I'll be going to that soon”. Det. Hurt asked how soon. Ms. Reytor
replied, “I actually have to make an appointment to do the course”. Det. Hurt asked Ms.
Reytor if she had another job. She stated that she has several businesses, but she was
“mostly there” (referring to D’s Jerk Hut). She spoke about owning a cleaning business
which she stated was in Florida. Having seen Reytor Cleaning on the application Det. Hurt
asked about it. Ms. Reytor stated that it was in Florida not in Phoenix, yet she provided it
on the DLLC application with the address of 2323 W. Dunlap Ave, Apt 244, Phx, AZ 85021.
When questioned about this she stated something to the fact of she must have missed it
but reiterated that the Reytor Cleaning business was in the State of Florida and even
provided the address of 2121 Collier Avenue #117, Fort Myers, Florida, 33901.

Det. Hurt inquired about how far Ms. Reytor lived from the business location. She said that
it was about 30 minutes away and when asked how she got there she said in a car. Det.
Hurt asked about her driving as she put on the application that she did not have a driver's
license. Ms. Reytor admitted to only having an identification but then said that she has a
Florida driver’s license, something else omitted from the applications.

During the interview with Ms. Reytor, Det. Hurt brought up that it appeared as though her
husband was running the business. Ms. Reytor said no that he just helps her out when she
needs stuff done. Det. Hurt asked if the D in the business name was for Duncan, her
husband’s last name. Ms. Reytor said that it was. Ms. Reytor then stated that her name
was also Duncan. Something else she did not disclose or include anywhere in the DLLC or
city applications. Ms. Reytor went on to state that it is only listed on her marriage license
that she does not use it on any identifications or for other things. Det. Hurt inquired about
the female subject who was at the business being a manager there as her husband Nerron
Duncan stated. Ms. Reytor said that the female was only a cashier and would not be a
manager or bartender because she was not licensed for that. Ms. Reytor stated, “Once |
get the liquor license | will hire a bartender and make her the manager”. Det. Hurt clarified
this by asking if she was planning on operating the business as a bar, which she denied.

When questioned about not being at the business Ms. Reytor stated that the last time was
because she had an appointment and the time prior “I had to run to my other business in
Florida”. This led to additional questioning about her having another job. Ms. Reytor stated
she has “several businesses’, but only listed the Reytor Cleaning business, which again
was confirmed at a different location than what she listed within the application.

In the course of this investigation, on two in-person occasions, and no less than three
different calls to the business Ms. Reytor was neither there nor could be contacted directly.
This contradicts her answer to question #12 on the State’s questionnaire wherein she
indicated that she would be present and physically operating the business. Det. Hurt found
while at the business, her husband obviously managing and operating the restaurant. That
being the case further investigation was conducted into her husband Nerron Duncan. Mr. __, .
Duncan was found to be a previously deported alien who is currently residing in the State of

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LIQUOR LICENSE DISAPPROVAL FORM

Police Department Liquor License Disapproval Recommendation

| Application Information

Arizona illegally, and does not appear be eligible to be employed, operate, or apply for a
liquor license.

Furthermore, Ms. Reytor the applicant, omitted several items on the application which go
directly towards her capability, credibility, and reliability. Ms. Reytor’s driver's license
status, location of her other job or business, the fact that she has “several businesses” yet
only listed one, and that Ms. Reytor has no experience in operating a liquor establishment.

The applicant, Ms. Reytor has shown through the application review process that she lacks
candor and attention to detail. Whether she purposely omitted information or not, it does
not undermine or lessen the appearance or fact that this application looks to be filed for a
hidden ownership. Based on the aforementioned information and the investigators
experience, Det. Hurt believes Celeste Reytor to be uncapable, unqualified and/or
unreliable to operate a liquor establishment in the best interest of the Black Mountain
Precinct or the City of Phoenix and is therefore requesting this application be denied.

This recommendation for disapproval is submitted by: Det. D. Hurt #7109
SIGNATURES

Administrative Licensing Investigator || Alonge A4289 a Mee Le my

Liquor Enforcement Detail Supervisor Sgt. M. Walter 8360 “Ahi! LST ge]

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