City says ‘Bambi’ operation front for prostitutes

Thursday, Aug. 7, 2003 | 10:54 a.m.

Las Vegas officials allege the "Hunting for Bambi" video business was actually an escort service that served as a front for prostitution in a complaint filed to revoke the company's license.

The Las Vegas City Council will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. Sept. 3 to determine whether to revoke the business license of a woman whose boyfriend claimed their company arranged paintball "hunts" of naked women.

The allegations levied in a complaint submitted by City Attorney Brad Jerbic are that Lakana Campbell, 48, doing business as Real Men Outdoor Productions, Inc., is running an unlicensed paintball business, is operating and unlicensed "escort bureau" and has failed to list a principal in her company.

An amended complaint filed Wednesday included the additional allegations of prostitution.

Campbell, who was not required to attend Wednesday's meeting and did not, was served with the amended complaint on Tuesday.

The new complaint says Jim DiFiore, the city's business service manager, called one of the numbers in an ad on the company's website. The complaint said DiFiore said he was seeking a companion for a friend.

The answer he got was: "Donations are $500 for full service for one hour, $700 for full service for two hours, up to $2,500 for a full day ..." the complaint said.

The complaint also says Campbell failed to list as a principal in the company her boyfriend Michael Burdick, the front man of the "Hunting for Bambi" video and a series of "hunts" marketed via the Internet at $10,000 a pop -- hunts city officials have said were a hoax to promote the sale of his video.

Burdick has been cited for running a video-sales business without a license. He is scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Municipal Court on that charge on Aug. 28. If convicted, he faces a maximum $1,000 fine and six months in jail. Campbell was not charged because her city business license allows her to sell hunting videos.

The city's investigation determined that Burdick lied to business license investigators, who went to the address on the license application -- Campbell's home near the Las Vegas Beltway and Cheyenne Avenue.

Burdick, who lives with his fiancee, said during the visit that he ran the show, the city said.

Burdick claimed the hunts were real and available to anyone willing to pay a $10,000 hunting fee. The city maintains that such hunts were never conducted and that the video was staged with paid actors.

Burdick has admitted that the video was staged. He has maintained, however, that he would have conducted hunts but that credit card companies would not allow potential customers to pay for the ventures on credit and that no one was willing to pay $10,000 in cash for the hunts.

The publicity from news reports of the hunts generated a wave of protests from advocates for women's rights and reflected badly on Las Vegas, Mayor Oscar Goodman said. The uproar prompted the city investigation.