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Owner of now-defunct Latitude 360 answers questions for 1st time

For the first time since Latitude 360 closed its doors in Robinson Township, the owner of the now-defunct entertainment facility answered questions Wednesday about why he hasn’t paid his employees for months.

Brent Brown is accused of owing millions of dollars to employees, contractors, landlords and lenders.

Employees told Channel 11 News last month that they were unable to cash their checks, and some were even being sued for cashing what some businesses called “bad checks.” The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office also came in and changed the locks on the facility last month.

Channel 11’s sister station in Jacksonville, Florida, where Latitude 360 is based, caught up with Brown, speaking with him for the first time on camera:

Reporter: Brent, when are you going to pay your employees? Brent, what do you have to say to your investors?
 
Brown: This is not appropriate.
 
Reporter: What’s not appropriate is not paying your employees for months. It’s been months now.
 
Brown: Not appropriate whatsoever.
 
Reporter: Why wasn’t Latitude 360 paying taxes?
 
Brown: We were looking for funding. We need funding. The company needs funding.
 
Reporter: So you skipped paying taxes? That’s what you cut?
 
Brown: No. No, the company needs funding.
 
Reporter: What are you doing now to get it? How did you get the money to fly to Dubai? Why haven’t you been showing up to court?
                
Brown: Because we have a franchise partner there.

Channel 11 News visited the site of the former Latitude 360 in Robinson Township Wednesday to find work being done on the building. Former employees said it’s being turned into a movie theater.

Channel 11 News also learned that the website for Latitude 360 has been shut down.

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