SPARTA, Kentucky – from www.cincinnati.com – Workers at a Gallatin County strip club are accused in a civil lawsuit of overcharging tipsy patrons and then beating them up if they question their bills.

Frank Pence, 26, of Independence, claims a bouncer hit him in the face, causing cuts and a broken nose after he was overcharged on May 30, said his attorney, Don Nageleisen.

The defendants in the suit filed Tuesday in Gallatin Circuit Court are Racers Pit Stop Grille LLC and a former bouncer, Jeffrey Rodgers, 46, of Louisville.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Rodgers was charged with misdemeanor assault for the alleged attack. There is a pretrial hearing in the criminal case set for Sept. 1 in Gallatin District Court.

Rodgers’ attorney in the criminal case, Ed Bourne, didn’t return a phone message left at his Owenton office.

The managing member of Racers Pit Stop Grille LLC is Meredith “Larry” Lawrence, according the corporation’s annual report filed March 12 with the Kentucky secretary of state. Lawrence, also listed as the corporation’s registered agent, declined to comment.

Pence claims the club was negligent because the business was aware of Rodgers’ predilection to violence.

“Jeffrey Rodgers has a well-known violent history and past, before and after his employment with Racers, and actually brags about the number of people that he assaults and beats up at Racers and other establishments believing same to be humorous and enjoyable,” Nageleisen writes in the suit.

The suit claims a pattern of assaults at the club by other bouncers, but does not list any names.

The assaults are part of an extortion and racketeering plan, the suit alleges.

The bouncers and bartenders have an illegal agreement in which they continue to serve intoxicated patrons and then overcharge them, the suit alleges. If the customers challenge their bills, the suit claims the customers are physically removed from the premises.

If the patron continues to question their bar tab or want to call police from the parking lot, they are assaulted by bouncers who then steal the patrons’ money, the suit alleges.