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Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
‘Dreadhead Cowboy' accused of running illegal bar in unincorporated Gary
A Chicago man who gained notoriety for riding a horse on the Dan Ryan Expressway was charged with setting up an illegal bar and strip club in Calumet Township. Adam Hollingsworth, 37, is charged with maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony, and misdemeanor selling alcohol without a permit, according to the probable cause affidavit. In October, Indiana State Excise Police received a complaint about The Cowgirl Den, located at 3985 Cleveland St. On Nov. 1, the Lake County Sheriff's Department arrested an individual at the location for public intoxication, court records state. Police interviewed Lake Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Dennis Carlotto, who said that the department is tasked with issuing occupancy permits for businesses in their fire district. He requested assistance from the Lake County Sheriff's Department when they made a fire inspection of the business on Oct. 31, records state. Dozens of people were present. Carlotto said the interior resembled a nightclub, with a counter staffed by bartenders and stocked with alcoholic beverages, a dance floor and a DJ. He said Hollingsworth identified himself as the operator of the business, the affidavit states. Carlotto told him that the business was ordered closed due to violations of state fire code. The business was granted an occupancy permit the next week and allowed to reopen, court records state. Police received photos of the Cowgirl Den's drink menu and fliers for events, saying it's '420 Friendly, Full bar and Hookah'. In searching its records, the Indiana Alcohol Tobacco Commission found no evidence indicating the address had a valid alcohol license or had a valid permit to sell tobacco products, records state. As of June 16, there are no signs of Hollingsworth applying for a license or permit. Hollingsworth advertised the Cowgirl Den under his 'Dread Head Cowboy' Facebook page. The nickname originated from a September 2020 incident where he rode his horse NuNu seven miles without horseshoes on the Dan Ryan Expressway to protest gun violence against children, according to Chicago Tribune archives. He later faced animal cruelty charges as the horse collapsed on the pavement near 95th Street and was overheated, bleeding from the hooves, and had dilated eyes. He pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and was sentenced to one year in prison in January 2022, court records state. He was also arrested in Hammond in May 2023 after police caught him riding his horse in the 7000 block of Indianapolis Boulevard, court records state. Police tried to prevent him from getting back on his horse again and Hollingsworth hit one of the officers with his elbow, resulting in battery of a police officer, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct charges. A jury found him guilty on the battery and resisting charges in May 2024, and he was sentenced to 30 days in jail, records state. In January, there was a domestic disturbance call at the Cowgirl Den, and when police responded, Hollingsworth informed them that he had paid dancers performing inside. Individuals were seen drinking alcohol, the affidavit states. In April, a video was sent to police that showed a nude woman dancing inside the club, with nearby patrons drinking alcohol. An undercover Gary Police officer went to the club on June 14 and requested a tequila drink and he later ordered another drink, records state. Officers later executed a search warrant that turned up a beverage menu and more than 70 bottles of liquor and beer. Hollingsworth was arrested at that time and said, 'Why am I being arrested for a private party with alcohol?' court records state. He has since posted a $1,495 bond and his initial hearing is scheduled for July 8.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ATC chair expresses concerns over increase in illegal sales of whippets, Galaxy Gas
Indiana State Excise Police have seen an "alarming increase" in the illegal sale of recreational-use nitrous oxide — also known as "whippets," laughing gas or Galaxy Gas — over the last year, Indiana Tobacco and Alcohol Commission officials say. Indiana ATC chairwoman Jessica Allen said the State Excise Police, which acts as the enforcement arm of the ATC, has cited 18 state-certified tobacco vendors and confiscated more than 15,000 canisters of nitrous oxide since early 2024. The citations and confiscations followed an increase in complaints about illicit sales to the ATC, which coincided with an increase in people purchasing nitrous oxide for recreational drug use. While it is legal to sell and purchase nitrous oxide for culinary, vehicular or medical use in Indiana, using or selling it for recreational purposes can result in a criminal offense. Allen said ATC officials are concerned about the increased availability of recreational nitrous oxide for sale and that its use could lead to "public health issues and public safety issues." She also cited the cost to the state of disposing of nitrous oxide canisters, which have specific destruction requirements; Allen estimates the ATC will spend more than $1 million through 2026 in destruction costs if the current trend of illegal nitrous oxide usage in Indiana continues. Nitrous oxide (dinitrogen monoxide) is a colorless, odorless gas comprised of two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The chemical compound appears in the sedative known as "laughing gas" used to reduce pain during medical procedures. Food product manufacturers also use nitrous oxide, most commonly to create the many small bubbles that give whipped cream its light, foamy texture. When nitrous oxide enters your lungs, it displaces other gases like oxygen. In small, medically prescribed doses, nitrous oxide limits the amount of oxygen that reaches your brain, effectively slowing down your central nervous system and limiting pain signals, hence its use for pain control. Nitrous oxide also blocks certain neurotransmitters and triggers the release of endorphins, creating a lightheaded, euphoric sensation, hence its appeal as a recreational drug. "Whippets" or "whip-its" are a slang term for nitrous oxide for recreational drug use. Users typically buy canisters of nitrous oxide intended for culinary use (the drug gets its name from the whipped cream canisters) and inhale the gas inside, either directly or via a balloon, to experience a sense of euphoria. Galaxy Gas is a brand of flavored whipped cream "chargers" (small canisters of nitrous oxide) and dispensers. The widespread recreational use of Galaxy Gas — once popularly documented by users on TikTok — has led to the product's name becoming interchangeable with nitrous oxide, laughing gas and whippets. Anyone in Indiana, including minors, can purchase nitrous oxide for what the state deems legitimate purposes, such as food preparation and vehicle performance. While restaurants and medical offices account for most legal nitrous oxide purchases, car enthusiasts may also use the gas to give a car's engine a boost (although some insurance companies will not cover nitrous-augmented vehicles). A section of Indiana Code 35 prohibits the use or sale of nitrous oxide with intent to cause intoxication or euphoria unless for medical purposes. Violating the code can result in a Class A or B misdemeanor, with penalties up to one year in jail and or fines of up to $5,000. Examples of code violations, Allen said, include selling nitrous oxide with other equipment used to get high, such as balloons, or selling the gas with instructions on how to use it recreationally. However, it can be difficult to determine the intent of a nitrous oxide sale beyond such clear-cut cases, a challenge that hinders excise police's ability to enforce the law. "I think it is broad, and because of the way the law is written, we have to know what the intent is at the time of the sale," Allen said. "So it's difficult to prove what the intent was from the manufacturer to the distributor to the retailer, because there certainly are lawful reasons a business would be selling it." Like many recreational drugs, nitrous oxide comes with a variety of risks, including: Tissue damage from low oxygen. Because our lungs' alveoli (air sacs) take in nitrous oxide much faster than they can expel its waste products like nitrogen, inhaling it dilutes the volume of oxygen available in the lungs. This can lead to tissue death, including in the brain. Symptoms of hypoxia can range from headaches, dizziness, loss of consciousness and nausea to, in extreme cases, heart attack or brain damage. Central nervous system damage. Nitrous oxide impedes our ability to metabolize vitamin B12, which the body uses to protect nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Heavily abusing nitrous oxide can degrade one's central nervous system, leading to muscle weakness or spasms. Further research suggests but does not confirm that inhaling directly from nitrous oxide canisters may cause lesions in the lungs or allergic reactions from breathing in microscopic particles of metals like zinc and aluminum. Data on use of nitrous oxide is sparse although a 2019 study by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that almost 13 million Americans aged 12 and older had "misused" nitrous oxide at least once. A spokesperson for Indianapolis' Community Fairbanks Recovery Center, which treats a variety of drug abuse and addictions, said the center has seen no notable increase of people admitting they used nitrous oxide recreationally. Lack of data and self-reporting makes it difficult to identify the scale of nitrous oxide abuse. If you are aware of illegal drug activity, you can contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana. You can also find your local excise board officer and how to contact them on the ATC's website if you wish to report a business illegally selling drugs. Concerned citizens can also leave a tip with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Contact IndyStar reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@ You can follow him on Twitter/X @Bradley Hohulin. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Illegal sales of laughing gas on the rise per Indiana ATC chair
