What Happened
Suffolk County Police arrested two employees at The Carousel Night Club, 522 East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station, during a joint compliance inspection that began at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2026, according to a Suffolk County Police Department press release.
One of the two people taken into custody was identified as Rick Scola, 59, the club’s manager. Police have not yet released the name or age of the second employee arrested. Both were taken into custody on-site during the inspection.
The operation brought together five agencies: the Second Precinct Crime Section, the Suffolk County Police Human Trafficking Unit, the New York State Liquor Authority, the Town of Huntington Fire Marshal, and the Town of Huntington Ordinance Inspector. The involvement of the Human Trafficking Unit alongside the SLA and fire marshal indicates the sweep covered multiple areas of potential code and licensing violations simultaneously.
Specific charges against Scola and the second employee had not been published in the initial release. Arraignment details and bail conditions were also not available at the time of filing.
Location & Road Context
The Carousel Night Club sits at 522 East Jericho Turnpike, a commercial stretch of NY-25 running through Huntington Station. East Jericho Turnpike carries heavy vehicular and foot traffic through this section of the Second Precinct’s coverage area. The club is within the Town of Huntington, which dispatched both its Fire Marshal and Ordinance Inspector to the scene.
Suffolk County’s local incident database lists 864 recorded accidents in Suffolk County, with three additional incidents logged on August 28, 2026, alone, including a DWI suspect who crashed into a Suffolk police vehicle and a separate crash on NY-27.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The Suffolk County Police Department confirmed both arrests were made during the inspection itself. The New York State Liquor Authority, which has authority to revoke or suspend a venue’s liquor license following a compliance violation, was a named participant in the operation. Any SLA administrative action against The Carousel Night Club’s license would proceed separately from criminal proceedings.
Arraignment dates for Scola and the second employee had not been announced as of the time this report was filed.
Broader Impact
New York’s multi-agency SLA inspection model, which pairs liquor authority enforcement with police crime sections and human trafficking units, allows a single nightclub sweep to generate simultaneous criminal, licensing, and fire-code consequences. A liquor license suspension, if pursued by the SLA, takes effect independently of any court outcome and can shut down a venue’s alcohol service within days of a violation finding.
Updates
- Sep 1, 2026: Additional reporting merged into this article: “Two Women Arrested in Massage Parlor Raid” (source)