Danny Owens

Born: 1951

During the 1980s and early 1990s Danny Owens made regular appearances in the Memphis media.  Owens was the tough and relentless king of Memphis strip clubs.  Although Owens was not popular, he steadily gained a grudging deference in an industry noted for its violence, underworld activities and hardened individuals.

Owens was known widely as a man who was not easily intimidated.  He once entered a competitors establishment swinging a baseball bat and was somewhat legendary for standing his ground against one of the areas most feared motorcycle gangs.  He was also noted for cruelty toward his employees.

Owen's downfall was brought about by the discovery of illegal slot machines operating in his clubs.  In 1992 he was indicted for were indicted for conspiracy and substantive charges relating to a gambling, prostitution, and drug trafficking operation.  Three co-defendants were indicted, one of whom was Owen's son Blake.  Danny Owens was convicted of several charges relating to gambling, prostitution, distribution of controlled substances and money laundering.  He was fined $500,000 and sentenced to 27 years and  3 months in prison.

A number of Owen's clubs have stood abandoned for many years, the objects of ongoing litigation.

Owens is scheduled for release in June 2016.