Owner of Connor’s Pub in Broad Ripple charged for underreporting sales, propositioning sex from employees

BROAD RIPPLE, Ind. — The owner of Connor’s Pub is Broad Ripple is accused not only of underreporting his sales to skirt paying his fair share of taxes but also of propositioning sex from his employees in exchange for better paying shifts.

John Yaggi was officially charged by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday with four counts of failure to remit taxes held in trust, Level 6 felonies; four counts of failure to remit food and beverage tax, Level 6 felonies; failure to keep records open for examination, a Level 6 felony; and making an unlawful proposition, a Class A misdemeanor.

Previous stories detail how Connor’s Pub was one of several bars to come under scrutiny for failing to underreport taxes back in April 2024. Connor’s Pub, Rock Lobster, Average Joe’s and the Mineshaft Saloon were all served search warrants during a multi-agency investigation.

During the investigation into Connor’s Pub, officials uncovered that Yaggi had failed to keep basic financial records for several years.

Investigators dug into what records Yaggi did have and calculated total expected sales. These calculated sales reports came in well below the sales Connor’s Pub submitted to the state.

Investigators ultimately concluded that Connor’s Pub underreported sales by nearly $4,500,000 and failed to remit nearly $320,000 in sales tax and nearly $91,000 in Food and Beverage Tax from January 2019 to December 2023.

“White collar crime is a priority of the prosecutor’s office because every business deserves an equal opportunity to compete,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. “The allegations outlined in the probable cause affidavit are more than financial misconduct but a repeated pattern of fraud and deceit that harms the community.”

Propositioning sex from employees

According to court documents, during the investigation into Yaggi’s tax evasion, it was discovered that he also reportedly propositioned some employees for sex.

A former bartender told investigators that Yaggi would offer her better-paying shifts only if she agreed to have sex with him. These sexual acts occurred at Yaggi’s house along with some allegedly occurring in the basement of Connor’s Pub.

According to the employee, she felt she’d lose her job if she didn’t agree to the sex acts. She claimed she worked first in the kitchen, but wasn’t paid well. To get a higher-paying bartending position, Yaggi allegedly implied that a sexual arrangement was required.

In Indiana, Level 6 felonies carry a maximum sentence of two and a half years.