Sag Harbor - Ed "Jean Luc" Kleefield, proprietor of Hamptons eateries JLX Bistro, Grappa Wine Bar, Prime 103 and Madame Tong's, turned himself in and was subsequently arrested in Sag Harbor Monday, June 22 for issuing bad checks, a second such offense in the last two months.
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Recently, Kleefield faced police at the Madame Tong's property. Photo by Kelly Carroll |
According to Sag Harbor village police, Kleefield, 43, turned himself in at police headquarters at approximately 2:30 p.m. Monday. According to reports, the Class B misdemeanor charge stems from Kleefield's alleged issuing of several checks to an employee which subsequently were returned for insufficient funds.
In April, Kleefield was arrested by Southampton village police and charged with two counts of writing bad checks. The checks, written for the purpose of paying back loans handed over by LGP Foundations President Lyle Pike last year, totaled a little less than $300,000. Since the arrest, Kleefield and Pike have battled over ownership of the Madame Tong's property on Elm Street in Southampton.
As of Tuesday morning, Sag Harbor police stated that the paperwork on the Kleefield arrest was not yet complete, and were unsure how much money the issued checks totaled. Kleefield was released for a future court appearance.
Guest (Clarice) from So. Hamptons says:
I feel bad for anyone who dines at Madam Tongs. There is no dishwasher on premise. They are washing dishes by hand. The place is a filty disaster and the Board of Health was notified but saw no action. I don't get it! Jean Luc your a mennace.