'I was shocked': The Big Easy owner responds to 2 employees charged in downtown Raleigh drug bust

Two Big Easy employees and customers at several downtown Raleigh bars were charged last week with felony and misdemeanor drug charges following a North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) investigation.

2024-05-29

The arrests, made May 23 and 24, come after ALE received complaints in January about illegal drugs allegedly being sold at:

• The Big Easy, located at 222 Fayetteville St.
• Cardinal Bar, located at 713 North West St.
• Davie Bar, located at 444 South Blount St.

Investigators said marijuana and cocaine were purchased from employees and customers of The Big Easy and customers at Davie Bar and Cardinal Bar.

At The Big Easy, three people are facing charges in connection to the drug bust, including two employees who are accused of planning to sell drugs and allowing criminal activity at a licensed ABC-premise.

Matthew Brown, 46, of Raleigh, an employee of The Big Easy, was charged with conspiracy to sell cocaine, two counts of allowing criminal conduct on licensed premises, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The owners of The Cardinal and Davies bar told WRAL News they didn't know this was happening, and don't condone it.

Kayla Boyd, 24, of Raleigh, another employee, was charged with conspiracy to sell cocaine and allowing criminal conduct on licensed premises.

According to ALE, The Big Easy could face further sanctions because of their employees' alleged involvement. Steve Hunt, the owner, said the ALE investigation wasn't easy to take.

"I was shocked when I heard what happened," Hunt said. "Both people no longer work for me; that was an immediate termination. I'm going to go back to having off-duty police officers on the weekends just to help deter anything like that, that may happen again."

Antonyo Armstead, 29, of Raleigh, a Big Easy customer, was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, sell cocaine, delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, selling marijuana, delivering marijuana, conspiring to sell cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

ALE agents also charged two customers at the Cardinal Bar and Matthew Moretz, 41, of Raleigh, a customer at Davie Bar, for selling and possessing drugs.

Moretz was charged with two counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver amphetamine dextroamphetamine, selling cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, maintain dwelling to keep and maintain controlled substances, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Investigators said they searched Moretz’s home, where they found more drugs and nine guns.

Jeremy Booth, 46, of Raleigh, and Alvin Ampaire, 31, of Cary, both Cardinal Bar customers, were each charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, selling marijuana and delivering marijuana.

The owners of both bars said they didn’t know this was happening and don’t condone it.

"That's just not the place of business that we are," Hunt said. "There's just some bad seeds that put us in this predicament."

There have been recent instances of drug sales in downtown Raleigh and along Glenwood South.

In May, Nicholas Banister, a senior firefighter with the Raleigh Fire Department, and his wife, Amanda Banister, were charged in connection with drugs allegedly sold at local nightclubs on Glenwood South.

In July, employees of two restaurants in Raleigh's Glenwood South entertainment district -- Botanical Lounge and Armadillo Grill -- were charged after the ALE received tips that drugs were being sold. A total of five people were charged.