4 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 21, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Auburndale residents rally to shut down local bar
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Hundreds of Auburndale residents and
small business owners rallied on Saturday,
Oct. 16, for the shutdown of a rowdy
neighborhood lounge that has been disrupting
the quality of life in the area for
the past eight months.
Residents were gathered outside of
Kloud Tequila Grill (Silk Hookah Lounge
LLC), located at 192-08 Northern Blvd.,
where they voiced their frustrations about
inappropriate illegal activity occurring at
the lounge.
“Kloud Tequila Grill is destroying our
neighborhood and putting our safety at
risk,” said Th eodora Tsourapis, president
of the Auburndale Northern Association,
which represents local residents and business
owners in the area surrounding the
block between Northern Boulevard and
45th Avenue and 192nd and 193rd streets.
Ever since Kloud Tequila Grill opened,
Tsourapis says her family’s life has been a
“living nightmare.”
“We can’t sleep because of the loud
music and screaming until 5 a.m. every
day. Th e constant noise, drag racing, garbage
and sexual activity right outside
of our home is aff ecting our health and
neighborhood safety,” Tsourapis said.
“Even though they’re operating without a
liquor license, none of our many 311 complaints
or calls to the police have made
a diff erence. City Hall must shut down
Kloud Tequila Grill now!”
According to residents, the incidents at
Kloud Tequila take place on a daily basis,
seven days a week, much of it occurring
from midnight to 3 a.m. over the past
eight months.
Despite numerous complaints to government
agencies and law enforcement,
residents say nothing has changed.
Th e Auburndale Northern Association
has launched an online petition for an
investigation into the bar.
Dosung Andrew Jung, who represents
one of the many small businesses on the
block, said they’re concerned about the
way Kloud Tequila Grill is conducting
their business.
“Every day, we fi nd garbage, vomit,
empty liquor bottles scattered around the
block,” Jung said. “Our safety is put at risk
with drag racing by intoxicated patrons.
Our quality of life is ruined with unacceptable
noise from Kloud and sex acts
inside parked cars at night. We demand
City Hall shut down Kloud now!”
As the COVID-19 pandemic has
already devastated the business community,
Jessica Shim, CEO of Auburndale
Cafe, which is located adjacent to Kloud
Tequila, said the out-of-control bar is adding
to business owners’ suff ering.
“Kloud Tequila is an irresponsible business
that allows customers to bring alcohol
outside and drink in our neighborhood,
urinate and vomit in front of our
stores, and trash our sidewalks,” Shim
said. “Th e owner does not clean up aft er
his customers, builds illegal structures
and has little regard for the safety of our
community.”
John Choe, executive director of the
Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce,
is calling for Kloud Tequila’s liquor license to
be revoked and the city to shut down the bar.
“Business owners have a responsibility
to be good neighbors and to treat everyone
in the community with respect,” Choe
said. “Clearly, Kloud Tequila Grill has
failed to act responsibly, and has lost the
confi dence of our community.”
Kloud Tequila Grill did not respond
to a request for comment in time for
publication.
Flushing couple accused of scamming millions from Chinese investors: SEC
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Federal regulators have accused a
Flushing couple of committing security
fraud in connection with two real estate
projects in Queens.
Th e Security and Exchange Commission
(SEC) fi led a complaint in Brooklyn federal
court alleging that luxury developer
Richard Xia and his company Fleet
New York Metropolitan Regional Center
LLC had scammed hundreds of Chinese
nationals out of more than $229 million
through EB-5 off erings to fund the
Eastern Mirage project in Flushing and
the Eastern Emerald project in Corona.
EB5 Affi liate Network (EB5AN) helps
foreign investors obtain U.S. permanent
residency, or green cards, through
investments in U.S. real estate development
projects within the guidelines of the
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, a U.S.
government eff ort that encourages new
investment in job-creating projects.
Th e SEC’s complaint alleges that from
2010 through late 2017, Xia, through
Fleet, fraudulently raised more than a
quarter-billion dollars from more than
450 investors for the two real estate
development projects.
According to the complaint, the off ering
materials made misrepresentations
regarding the sources of fi nancing for
the projects, the experience of the project’s
development and construction team,
the scope of the Eastern Emerald project,
and the existence of lease agreements
among several entities that Xia owns and
controls. Additionally, Xia allegedly misappropriated
approximately $17 million
in Eastern Mirage investor funds, and at
least $11.8 million in Eastern Emerald
investor funds.
Th e SEC’s complaint, fi led in federal
district court in Brooklyn on Sept.
28, charges Xia and Fleet with violating
the anti-fraud provisions of the federal
securities laws. Th e complaint seeks,
among other relief, a permanent injunction,
disgorgement, prejudgment interest,
civil penalties, an asset freeze and the
appointment of a monitor. Th e complaint
also names Xia’s wife, Julia Yue, as a relief
defendant and seeks disgorgement and
prejudgment interest from her.
Th e couple allegedly solicited $500,000
from each investor in addition to a
$50,000 processing fee, according to the
SEC complaint.
“Developers off ering securities in connection
with the E-5 program have the
responsibility to be truthful to their
investors,” said Richard Best, director
of the SEC’s New York Regional Offi ce.
“As we allege in our complaint, Xia misappropriated
millions of investor funds
and misled investors about the fi nancing
for the projects and the experience
of the projects’ development and
construction teams.”
Th e Eastern Mirage Project, located at
42-31 Union St. in Flushing, was scheduled
for completion in 2013 but remains
“an unfi nished and empty glass tower,”
according to the complaint.
Th e Eastern Emerald Project, located
at 112-21 Northern Blvd. in Corona, has
barely gotten underway and the complaint
describes the site as “a largely
vacant dirt hole surrounded by a concrete
wall.” Th e real estate company previously
announced it would be complete by 2024.
Photos courtesy of Fleet Financial Group
A Flushing couple behind two Queens development projects, Eastern Emerald and Eastern Mirage,
are accused by the feds of scamming millions from Chinese investors.
Photo courtesy of Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce
Auburndale residents rally outside of Kloud Tequila Grill, located at 192-08 Northern Blvd., on
Saturday, Oct. 16.
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