GATIEN GETS 90 DAYS IN TAX PLEA DEAL

NEW YORK, Jan. 8 (UPI) - Night club impresario Peter Gatien and his
wife have pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges in Manhattan state
Supreme Court.

Under a plea bargain, the former owner of the Limelight faces 90 days
in jail for grand larceny and state and city tax charges.

Both must pay $1.5 million in back taxes and a $500,000 fine.

Gatien's wife Alessandra must do 300 hours of community
service.

They could have faced a maximum of 25 years in prison under the grand
larceny charge.

Gatien ran an empire of nightclubs including the Limelight, the
Tunnel, the Palladium, Chesapeake House and Club U.S.A.

Last year, the eye-patch wearing Canadian was acquitted of federal
racketeering and conspiracy charges that he used the Limelight to
distribute drugs such as Ecstacy, LSD and cocaine.

Gatien no longer owns the Limelight, but it recently reopened with a
new corporate image under his management.

Gatien's corporation, Lansdown Entertainment, was ordered to pay $182,000
in back taxes.