Nye County suspended one of Dennis Hof’s brothel licenses today because of unapproved modifications to manufactured homes on the site where business is conducted, officials said.
After a hearing last week with the county commissioners acting as the licensing and liquor board, commissioners determined Hof had failed to provide adequate paperwork for modifications since 2010 to the Love Ranch brothel site in Crystal, which is about 25 miles north of Pahrump on State Route 160 and about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The county describes the brothel area as problematic and called the detailed modifications “stick built additions.”
Members of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office planned to retrieve the license Saturday. The adjacent bar and restaurant, which the county has deemed as safe, will be allowed to continue operating.
The county planning department has evidence of alterations to the brothel area, none of which permitted or approved with a Manufactured Home Division install sticker or certificate of compliance with the fire code, according to the county.
County commissioner John Koenig made a special visit to the brothel to address the situation, but the review showed significant fire and safety violations, according to the county.
Hof said that he had not made any modifications to the structures in question. He blamed the ordeal on the county flexing its muscle, since he has two open lawsuits against members of its board and is running for political office.
“It is an attempt to embarrass me and make me look bad by unscrupulous commissioner employees,” Hof said. “They’re using their county powers to hurt me politically.”
Hof is seeking the Republican nomination for State Assembly District 36. He ran unsuccessfully as a Libertarian in 2016 against incumbent James Oscarson. The district includes Nye and Lincoln counties and portions of Clark County.
Hof and two associates have a defamation suit pending in Nevada’s 5th Judicial District Court against County Commissioner Andrew “Butch” Borasky for comments Borasky made during a Nov. 21 commission meeting. Additionally, Hof filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court earlier this month against Nye County officials alleging the county was infringing on his First Amendment rights regarding restrictions on a sign promoting Love Ranch.
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