UPDATE: Nov.18
The City has not received any court filings regarding an interlocutory sale of the building, according to a city spokesperson. The city spent $214,000 on the demolition, according to public records.
Bellevue will seek reimbursement and related expenses from the property owner.
The Chief Building Inspector, who inspected and condemned the building, has been in contact with the US Attorney's Office regarding the condition and demolition of the building.
City Administration has not received any communication from the property owner or its counsel regarding the condemnation or demolition of the building.
As for why this tear down did not go through city council, due to the unique and extraordinary conditions and circumstances involved with this building, it was deemed necessary to protect life and limb to cause the structure to be taken down without delay in accordance with Bellevue City Code Section 8-44, according to the city.
Original Report:
BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) – A Bellevue motel that was at the center of a major federal sex and labor trafficking case has been demolished.
Demolition crews began tearing down the motel on Fort Crook Road early Friday morning. The property was one of four motels where prosecutors say women were prostituted and others were forced to work against their will.
Ken Chaudari, the owner of the motels, and four others were arrested and charged with sex and labor trafficking and drug crimes in August. The federal government seized all of the buildings this summer, though the county assessor's website still lists the hotel owner's LLC as the property owner.
KMTV has obtained newly filed court documents that show that the defendants who own the hotels have agreed to sell the properties. The agreements, filed November 10, explain that if the owners are convicted, the proceeds from the property sale will be seized by the federal government.
The federal prosecutor and Chaudari's defense attorney have not responded to requests for comment about whether the demolition impacts their case.
City of Bellevue workers deemed the property unsafe in mid-August, forcing out many people who lived there. Workers returned to the motel two weeks ago to prepare the property for demolition.
"It's an emergency tear down based on the determination it's a life safety issue," the City of Bellevue said in a statement.
While the Bellevue hotel was being demolished, the three other motels involved in the investigation, which are located in Omaha, all still sit boarded up.
Neighbors expressed relief at seeing the demolition work begin.
"I thought maybe they were clearing it out for a renovation so it was a shock to see them come in with a backhoe," Sarah Hannigan said.
Hannigan, who lives directly behind the motel, said she didn't feel safe near the building at night.
"I'm happy to see it go, I'm curious to see what they will do with it and hopefully something nicer will pop up there in the future," Hannigan said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
