Baristas charged for showing breasts

EDMONDS, Wash., Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A Washington woman who police say operates a drive-thru coffee shop with a stripper pole has been charged with lewd conduct, police say.

Carmela Panico, 49, along with six of her baristas, were charged by Snohomish County prosecutors on Wednesday for doing sexually explicit dances at the coffee stand Java Jugs, Seattlepi.com reported.

The Edmonds Police Department investigation of the stand, which went on for months, included undercover work and surveillance. The indictment states a 9 hour surveillance video shows Panico and another barista doing pole dances for tipping customers -- including flashing their breasts and letting customers touch them.

An undercover officer, identified as "Detective Frausto," reported that he paid $20 for coffee that came with a pole dance from an unidentified employee.

"[She] indicated that she and [Panico] used to dance at 'Rick's,'" charging papers show.

Frausto bought coffee from the stand again. He gave the barista on duty $10, and she allegedly replied "I can't give you any flashes or anything today," explaining that a coworker had recently been fired for dancing naked for customers.

The same detective said he bought coffee from Panico and received a dance from the owner for $20. Frausto questioned Panico about the barista who had been fired for dancing naked.

Panico replied that she said "she not want any 'lewd' behavior at her stands and wanted to be informed of it," prosecutors said.