Darren Bruy realized that if he withdrew from a May plea deal that involved 16 other Crazy Horse Too employees, the agreement that offered leniency from the federal government would fall through.
So the 42-year-old Bruy reluctantly pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by not fully reporting taxes on income he made at the Industrial Road strip club.
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What Bruy didn't realize, according to his attorney Lisa Rasmussen, were the consequences of signing the deal.
Not only did Bruy become a felon, but he lost his job at the Crazy Horse after the Las Vegas City Council prohibited any of the indicted employees from working at the strip club and revoked the business' liquor license.
Because he is a felon, Bruy, a former police officer who has shared custody of a teenager, has struggled to find work, Rasmussen said Wednesday during a sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson.
Rasmussen said Bruy was unaware of the tax scheme at the club and had asked the owners about his tax claims.
"He was an employee there," she said. "He went to them at one point and said, 'Can I claim more?' and they said no."
Rasmussen also said Bruy received envelopes from management, indicating that is how Bruy was paid. The statement did not sit well with Dawson.
"The mere fact that cash is being exchanged in an envelope should be a red flag for anyone with any experience at all," Dawson said. "That should be a tipoff."
Bruy, a floor manager at the club, said it was a difficult decision to sign the plea agreement. He apologized to Dawson and the government, and said he was embarrassed by the indictment.
Bruy was sentenced to five years probation. He must serve six months on home confinement, half of that time wearing an electronic bracelet.
Ralph Pope, a floor manager and VIP host, received the same sentence as Bruy.
James Stresing, a bartender at the club, received two years probation and 150 hours of community service. Dawson said Stresing was treated differently because he was a bartender and not a manager at the business.
