34 ARRESTED IN DRUG RAIDS AT SCOTTSDALE NIGHTCLUBS

Police Say Owners Unaware of Dealing

Scottsdale police and federal drug agents arrested 34 people and seized
more than $600,000 in drugs, cash and vehicles over the weekend, completing
seven months of undercover work in the city's popular nightclub scene.

"It was high-profile," Scottsdale police Lt. Steve Gesell said Monday. "We
wanted to be seen."

Dozens of officers arrested a man who sublet an "oxygen bar" inside the
AXIS-Radius nightclub Friday. He is suspected of selling cocaine and
Ecstasy in addition to sniffs of flavored oxygen. Officers also lurked
outside the Suede and Sanctuary nightclubs Friday.

Les and Diane Corieri watched the busts go down. "I had never seen that
before," Les said. "I really didn't know what was going on."

The "oxygen bar" suspect did not work for the Corieris, who are part owners
of all three clubs.

Police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents said no club owners
knew about the drug dealers or the undercover operation, Operation X-Out.
The city-federal investigation found people dealing cocaine, Ecstasy,
marijuana, crack, methamphetamine, heroin and prescription drugs out of
seven bars and clubs.