Core Viewpoint - Johnson Fistel, PLLP is investigating potential claims on behalf of investors of RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. due to possible violations of federal securities laws, which may allow investors to recover losses from alleged misconduct by the company and its executives [1] Company Summary - On September 16, 2025, the New York Attorney General announced 79 charges against RCI Hospitality Holdings, five of its executives, and three of its Manhattan-based strip clubs, including conspiracy, bribery, and criminal tax fraud related to an alleged decade-long scheme to bribe a government tax auditor to avoid over $8 million in sales tax [3] - The indictment claims that RCI executives provided the auditor with trips, cash, and other benefits in exchange for favorable settlements on sales tax audits, with one instance reducing a $3 million tax liability to just $350,000 [3] - Following the announcement of the charges, RCI Hospitality's shares fell as much as 16% during regular trading, reaching their lowest level in over five years, and declined an additional 4.5% in after-hours trading [3]

Market Overview - DJIA increased by 271 points or 0.59% to reach 46,029, while Nasdaq decreased by 76 points or 0.34% to 22,257, and S&P 500 traded at 6,603, down 3 points or 0.05% [2][4] - Anticipation of a 0.25 percentage point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve is influencing market movements, with traders closely monitoring for indications of further cuts [4][5] Company Highlights - Workday saw a significant gain of 6.9% after Elliott Investment Management acquired a stake exceeding $2 billion and expressed support for the company's management, alongside an expansion of its share buyback program to $4 billion [2][4] - General Mills experienced a decline of 1.9% despite reporting higher-than-expected profits for the latest quarter, with revenue meeting forecasts [2][4] - RCI Hospitality Holdings fell by 10.2% following accusations of bribery and other crimes by New York's attorney general, impacting its operations in the strip club and sports bar sectors [3][4] Upcoming Events - Online ticket marketplace StubHub is set to debut on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "STUB," with shares priced at $23.50 in its initial public offering [3][4] Economic Indicators - Japan's Nikkei 225 index decreased by 0.2% as exports to the U.S. fell by 13.8% in August compared to the previous year, attributed to tariffs on cars [5] - The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond slightly decreased to 4.02% from 4.04% [5]

Group 1 - RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. is currently under investigation for potential fraud, providing an opportunity for investors to join the legal proceedings initiated by the Schall Law Firm [1] - The investigation may involve allegations of misleading statements or actions that could have impacted the company's stock performance [1] - Investors are encouraged to participate in the investigation to seek potential recovery of losses incurred due to the alleged fraud [1]

Core Viewpoint - RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. is currently under investigation for potential securities fraud violations, which may have significant implications for the company's operations and investor confidence [1] Company Summary - The investigation is being conducted by the DJS Law Group, indicating potential legal challenges ahead for RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. [1]

Core Points - A company, RCI Hospitality Holdings, and several of its executives have been charged with bribing a government official to evade over $8 million in sales taxes owed to New York City and the state of New York [1][2][9] - The alleged bribery scheme involved providing free trips and spending money to a New York state tax auditor from 2010 to 2024, in exchange for favorable treatment during tax audits [2][8] - A grand jury indictment has been unsealed, charging RCI, five executives, and three clubs in Manhattan with conspiracy, bribery, tax fraud, and other crimes [3][4] Company Overview - RCI Hospitality Holdings is publicly traded on the Nasdaq and operates over 60 clubs, sports bars, and restaurants across the United States, including multiple Rick's Cabaret locations in major cities [3] - The company also owns two additional businesses in Manhattan [3] Legal Proceedings - The indictment includes 79 counts against RCI and its executives, with specific allegations that they used their clubs to facilitate bribery to avoid tax liabilities [3][4] - RCI's legal representation has stated that the allegations are baseless and that the company intends to contest the charges in court [5][6] Allegations of Bribery - Prosecutors allege that RCI provided the auditor with at least 13 complimentary trips to Florida and up to $5,000 per day for private dances at RCI clubs, covering additional expenses such as hotels and restaurants [8] - The company is accused of failing to pay over $8 million in sales taxes related to "dance dollars," which are purchased by customers for private dances, and of receiving significantly reduced tax liabilities due to the alleged bribery [9]

Core Insights - Holzer & Holzer, LLC is investigating RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. for potential violations of federal securities laws following the indictment of top executives for allegedly bribing an auditor to evade over $8 million in sales taxes from 2010 to 2024 [1] - The announcement of the indictment has led to a decline in RCI's stock price [1] Company Overview - RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. trades on NASDAQ under the ticker RICK [1] - The company is currently facing legal scrutiny due to allegations of corporate misconduct involving bribery [1] Legal Context - The New York Office of the Attorney General has initiated an investigation into RCI's executives, highlighting serious allegations of bribery related to tax evasion [1] - Holzer & Holzer, LLC is a law firm known for representing shareholders and investors in securities litigation, indicating a potential class action or derivative litigation against RCI [3]

RCI Hospitality Holdings (NASDAQ:RICK), along with five of its executives and three RCI-owned strip clubs in Manhattan, was hit with 79 charges by the New York Attorney General, including conspiracy, bribery, and criminal tax fraud stemming from the alleged bribe of a government ...

Core Viewpoint - RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc is facing a 79-count indictment related to an alleged multimillion-dollar tax fraud and bribery scheme involving the company, its executives, and its Manhattan strip clubs [1][4]. Summary by Sections Allegations and Charges - From 2010 to 2024, RCI executives allegedly bribed a New York state tax auditor to evade over $8 million in sales taxes, using cash, free trips, and entertainment at company-owned clubs, falsely recorded as "promotional" expenses [2]. - The company is accused of failing to pay sales tax on its in-house currency, "Dance Dollars" [2]. - Key executives indicted include CEO Eric Langan and CFO Bradley Chhay, facing charges of conspiracy, bribery, and criminal tax fraud [3]. Investigation Findings - The investigation revealed that Langan personally supervised negotiations with the auditor and approved bribe payments [3]. - The auditor reportedly received at least 13 complimentary trips to Florida, with payments of up to $5,000 per day for private dances at RCI clubs [3]. Impact on Stock - Following the indictment news, RICK shares closed down 15.94% at $28.79, with a 52-week high of $61.66 and a low of $28.00 [5].

Core Points - New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the indictment of five top executives from RCI Hospitality Holdings, including CEO Eric Langan, for their involvement in a multi-million-dollar tax fraud and bribery scheme [2][8] - The scheme allegedly involved bribing a New York state auditor with trips and payments to avoid over $8 million in taxes from 2010 to 2024 [5][6] Group 1: Indictment Details - The executives are accused of providing the auditor with 13 complimentary trips to Florida and payments for private dances at RCI-owned strip clubs [3][5] - RCI's controller, Timothy Winata, allegedly traveled to Manhattan multiple times to deliver illegal bribes at RCI's clubs [4][8] - The indictment includes 79 counts of conspiracy, bribery, and criminal tax fraud against the executives and the three Manhattan clubs [8] Group 2: Financial Impact - Following the announcement of the indictment, RCI's shares dropped nearly 17% in late afternoon trading [8] - The alleged tax evasion involved the sale of "Dance Dollars," which customers purchased for private dances at RCI's strip clubs [5][6] Group 3: Company Response - RCI and the individuals involved deny the allegations and plan to defend themselves against what they describe as overreaching charges [9][10] - RCI has previously disclosed the investigation in its SEC filings and maintains a policy of paying all legitimate taxes [10]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenues for Q3 2025 were $71.1 million, down from $76.2 million, a decrease of $5 million primarily due to the divestiture of underperforming Bombshells locations [10] - Net income attributable to common shareholders was $4.1 million compared to a loss of $5.2 million, a difference of $9.3 million [11] - GAAP EPS was $0.46 per share compared to a loss of $0.56 per share [12] - Adjusted EBITDA was $15.3 million compared to $20.1 million, reflecting lower margins in nightclubs and Bombshells [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Nightclub revenues totaled $62.3 million, down less than 1% year over year, with a 3.7% decline in same-store sales [13] - Bombshells revenues were $8.6 million, a decrease of $4.5 million, impacted by the sale of five underperforming locations and a 13.5% decline in same-store sales [15] - Operating income for nightclubs was $17.8 million with a margin of 28.5%, while Bombshells reported an operating income of $87,000 with a margin of 1% [14][16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $29.3 million, having used $5.25 million for acquisitions and $3 million for share buybacks [18] - Debt at June 30 was slightly reduced to $201,000 from March, with an average weighted interest rate of 6.68% compared to 6.74% a year ago [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to allocate 40% of free cash flow to club acquisitions and 60% to share buybacks, debt reduction, and dividends, targeting a 10% to 15% annual growth in free cash flow per share [22] - The focus remains on improving same-store sales and operational efficiency in the nightclub segment while completing the development of remaining Bombshells locations [24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that economic uncertainty related to tariffs and tax policies has affected customer spending but expressed optimism about future performance as new money enters the market [50] - The company anticipates that as new locations generate revenue, occupancy costs and debt metrics should improve [20] Other Important Information - The company has reduced its outstanding shares by approximately 15.5% over the past ten years, from about 10.3 million to 8.7 million [26] - The company is not interested in sale-leaseback arrangements for its real estate, preferring to maintain ownership for operational flexibility [94] Q&A Session Summary Question: How much nonperforming real estate could be sold? - Management estimated the value of nonperforming real estate at about $28 million, with ongoing negotiations for some properties [30] Question: How much of the proceeds from real estate sales would go to debt repayment? - Approximately 40-45% of proceeds would go to cash, with the remainder servicing debt [32] Question: What is the expected reserve for self-insurance going forward? - Year-to-date, the reserve is $9.4 million, but future amounts are uncertain due to the nature of claims [34] Question: Who are the competitors in the acquisition space? - The company competes with various operators and private equity groups but is seen as a preferred acquirer due to its cash availability [44] Question: Is there an uptick in activity due to tax policy changes? - Management believes companies are starting to make major purchases before year-end due to recent tax changes [49] Question: What is the burden of startup costs on EBITDA? - Startup costs typically range from $400,000 to $500,000 per unit, impacting EBITDA during the preopening phase [84]