Besnik Vukaj at SANTANDER SECURITIES LLC – View Complaints, Disclosures, Scams and Audit Report (Updated 2023)

Disclosure #1 for Besnik Vukaj

• • Event Date: 1/2/2008
  • Disclosure Type: Criminal
  • Resolution: Final Disposition
  • Criminal Charges :: Charges: Assault With Dangerous Weapon
  • Disposition: Found not guilty
  • Broker Comment: On December 2007 I was working and managing the New Years Eve event at a newly opened restaurant at 545 Boylston St, Boston Ma. The event had gone very smoothly throughout the night and everything was coming to a close. I was helping the staff close up and making the last call when the police entered the establishment. They said that they were called by a person claiming that someone was being assaulted in the establishment. The police investigate and bring the caller into the restaurant to identify the alleged victim. The person that had called the police was an ex-kitchen staff employee that was fired earlier that night because of a dispute with the owners. The alleged victim goes up to the police and clarifies that no assault had happened and that everything was completely fine as they were enjoying the celebration along with many other patrons. At this point the police realize that no offense had occurred and some of them start to leave the restaurant. The owner of the restaurant became irritated because patrons started to leave as the police asked for the music to be turned off. I later found out that the owner was being rude to the police. I had no interaction with the police or any conversation with them regarding anything that was happening that night. I continued to help the bar staff close their station. The bartender had put the utensils, among them a knife that was used to cut pineapples which were used to make sangria, on top of the bar station to be picked up by the dishwasher. At this point I heard a commotion in the private dining room adjacent to the bar. There was a glass wall built with wine racks as a divide between the private dining room and the rest of the restaurant. From the bar you could see inside the room. I looked over and I saw 3 police officers punching and kicking the owner repeatedly. I knocked on the glass and I yelled to the other police officers (outside the room) that I could see them punching him and kicking him and that they should stop. I then continued to look through the glass to see what was happening. The police officer yells at me to stop looking through the glass. At this point a patron of the restaurant, also friend of mine, comes behind the bar and gives me a bear hug, also walking us back from the glass divide. As he does this, the cutting utensils including the knife get knocked over from the station and fall on the floor. We were behind the bar and about 25 feet away from the officers. Neither one of us noticed the utensils being knocked over as the police had drawn their weapons yelling to get away from the glass. We immediately put our hands up and followed the instructions of the police. As a result of this the police arrested me. The police officers account of the events were absolutely not accurate or anywhere near of what happened. We decided to go to court and fight this ridiculous charge. As this was a newly constructed restaurant, there were cameras in every room that covered every angle of the entire establishment. When we went to court we presented the recordings of all the cameras which entirely corroborated my version of the events and contradicted the version that the prosecutor had presented. Upon seeing the video, the judge excused the jury from the courtroom and told them that they will not be judging this case and after the jury left the room, the judge scolded the prosecutor for allowing the case to make it that far. He then immediately gave the judgment of Not Guilty and the case was closed. I told my attorney to not pursue the case against the police officers and the department as long as they apologized to me. The officers apologized immediately and we even shook hands and we all left the courthouse together. I found out from the officers that the owner of the restaurant had been extremely rude and threatening to the other officers that night.