Ontario business owners allege city forced their closure

ONTARIO, Calif. (KABC) -- The owners of Treasure Banquet Hall told the Ontario City Council Tuesday night that their downtown event venue has been unable to operate for nearly a year and a half after the city cut power to the building amid a dispute over permits.

Marianne and Andrew Hanouneh, siblings who run the business, spoke during a City Council meeting and described the impact the closure has had on their family and business.

"We built something we were very proud of, and we were so proud to give back to this community," Marianne Hanouneh said.

According to the Hanounehs, problems began when their building permits expired. They said the city told them to cease operations unless they met certain requirements, including submitting new plans.

The siblings said they complied with those requirements, but that the city has never approved the plans.

"We relied on the permits the city issued us. We invested our family's resources in good faith," Marianne Hanouneh said.

"Then overnight it was gone. The permit we had invested millions of dollars relying on simply disappeared. No due process, no warning, just gone," she added.

The siblings also alleged that the city later shut off power to the building without warning. They said they then sought help from Ontario City Council member Alan Wapner.

"I showed him photos of our building, hoping he might understand what our family had created. As soon as I named the building, he said, and I quote, 'I know your building. I know exactly where that is. No need to show photos. I've been telling them to shut you down for months,'" Marianne Hanouneh said.

She also recounted another alleged statement by Wapner.

"When I asked him to meet with another official, he said, 'No, no, it doesn't matter. I hold the power in this city,'" she said.

The Hanounehs said they spent months attempting to resolve the issue with the city but have been unable to move forward while the building remains without power.

They also said they were contacted earlier this year by the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office and later by the FBI.

The allegations surfaced as the FBI recently served search warrants at several locations in Southern California, including Wapner's home. There is no evidence of any connection between those searches and the situation involving Treasure Banquet Hall.

The FBI has not commented because the search warrants are sealed.

During Tuesday night's city council meeting, Mayor Paul Leon called for Wapner to be removed from the committees on which he serves.

"He's become a distraction, and that is not saying he's guilty of anything," said Leon. "But the distraction of the current activity is real."

Wapner objected to the mayor bringing the matter before the city council, saying not enough notice was given to the public ahead of time.

"I've never been named a suspect, a subject, a target of any investigation," said Wapner at the meeting. "They did search the house. We don't know what they were searching for or for what."

The City Council voted to consider removing Wapner from committee assignments at a future meeting.

Requests for comment were made to both Wapner and the City of Ontario. Responses were not immediately available.