Club closed forever

Club Mickey's is kaput.

Attorneys representing the business' owner, Jason Howard, agreed in court Monday that he would close the U.S. 258 club permanently.

One of Howard's attorneys, Brenda D. Unti, of Jacksonville, agreed to allow the Onslow County Sheriff's Department full access to Mickey's to ensure there was no illegal activity at the club.

Howard also agreed to pay the county's legal bills in pursuing the public nuisance abatement case against the club. The county hired nuisance abatement expert Randy Reavis of Greensboro at a cost of $13,600, Onslow County Attorney Ron vonLembke said.

Unti and vonLembke had a lengthy discussion in the hallway outside Courtroom No. 5 prior to the hearing.

"We've come to a gentleman's agreement," Unti told The Daily News after the hearing.

The attorney for the property owner, Superior Reality LLC, could not make it to Jacksonville, so both parties agreed to postpone the injunction hearing to May 27.

The county's next step is to ensure Superior Reality LLC does not allow any business that would be considered a public nuisance to open on the property, vonLembke said.

On May 3, the Sheriff's Department served a temporary restraining order on the owners of the property and club - at 4441 Richlands Highway, just north of the Tar Landing community - as part of a public nuisance abatement case filed by the county.

Authorities arrested several patrons at the club on outstanding warrants and resisting a police officer during the predawn raid. Guns, drugs, bladed weapons, a set of brass knuckles and a bag of bullets were found on the floor of the club, in vehicles in the parking lot and in a trash can set up by deputies to collect illegal items.

"Club Mickey's has about a three-year history as a place that is frequented by those involved in criminal activity," Sgt. Bob Ides of the Sheriff's Department said during a briefing for the operation. "The history of criminal activity at the location includes manslaughter, felony assaults, simple assaults, gang activity, firearms violations, thefts, robberies and drug activity."

The Daily News reported several violent incidents at the club. In December, a man in the club's parking lot was grazed in the cheek and ear with a bullet. In October, a man was charged with manslaughter after authorities said he pulled out of the parking lot - intoxicated and fleeing from a fight at the club - and into traffic; a several-car pileup followed that killed a pedestrian and ended with the mugging of another driver. In June 2005, a man survived being shot eight times at the club.

Onslow County has been successful in six high-profile public nuisance abatement cases already in recent years. Southern Comfort and Paradise Landing, both in Sneads Ferry; Coconutz and Smitty's R&R in Jacksonville; and Fantasies and Private Pleasures in Richlands all were closed permanently by the county.

Contact crime reporter Lindell Kay at lkay@freedomenc.com or 910-554-8534. Read Lindell's blog at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com.