NJ gym owner who defied COVID lockdowns WINS legal battle; ALL CHARGES DROPPED



When New Jersey gym owners Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti defied the Garden State’s COVID-19 regulations by keeping their gym open, the pair were ordered to pay around $165,000 in fines for violating public health emergency rules.

After an almost four-year legal battle, Smith has been cleared of more than 80 charges.

These charges were “thrown at us really to scare us into shutting down,” Smith tells Sara Gonzales. “When that didn’t work, Governor Murphy took those municipal charges as well as a health department shutdown order and went before a judge in New Jersey.”

Murphy asked for a court order to close Smith’s business, which Smith explains is “where a lot of the really tangible, very scary punishments came in.”

“We were being fined $15,497.76 per day for every day that we were in operation. The state took upwards of $200,000 from our bank account,” he explains.

“We had one member arrested, my former co-partner and I were arrested, we had our doors forcibly locked by the sheriff’s department.”

When Smith refused to comply and opened the doors, the sheriff’s department came to lock them again. So they took the doors off the hinges and stayed inside to protest for over a month.

“They arrested us, they held us in criminal and civil contempt at court, so there was a five-year prison sentence hanging over our head at one point from this court order,” he tells Gonzales, who says “it’s making my blood boil all over again just listening to you.”

While it’s been a rough journey for Smith, he’s finally free of those looming charges.

“They were just writing these, they were firing off the hip. They didn’t expect people to push back, and they just panicked. And you know, these people are not used to people wagging a finger in their face and saying no, so they never wanted to touch these cases because nobody wants to put their name on it, because they know it’s unconstitutional,” Smith explains.

“The judge finally had enough, she said, ‘I can’t put these gentlemen through this any longer,’ and you know, she was very clear that this was going to be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the state can’t revisit these charges.”


Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

New Jersey gym that defied lockdowns finally gets business license restored but says: 'The fight is far from over'



The New Jersey gym that made headlines for defying the state's COVID-19 lockdown in May 2020 finally got its business license restored after hefty fines and legal fees.

The Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey, announced this week that it had its mercantile license restored by the borough of Bellmawr.

"The township folded. They reinstated our business license. It took them 2 years to realize that nothing would make us kneel," the owners of the gym wrote on Instagram.

"When we reopened @theatilisgym we had no idea it would be this hard of a fight," the owners wrote. "We just knew it wasn’t right, and we were going to stand our ground for ourselves, our families, and the rights of all Americans."

The gym alleged that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his "cowardly cronies at the Health Department, the AG's office, the Sheriff's Department, and his lackey Judge Robert Lougy tried to bury us."

The post noted that the gym's co-owners – Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti – as well as a member of the Atilis Gym, were arrested for violating Murphy's lockdown order. Smith and Trumbetti pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal contempt, and were sentenced to a year of probation in January.

There were allegedly nine criminal charges and more than 90 citations launched in connection with the gym being open during the lockdown, according to the owners of the gym.

The owners claimed to have paid more than $300,000 in legal bills, had $173,000 seized, and were fined $15,497.76 per day over the span of five months.

In December 2020, Smith estimated that the gym was fined more than $1.2 million.

In January 2021, Smith said that he and Trumetti had no money in their bank accounts because "the state emptied out every single dollar that we have."

The Atlilis Gym owners said that when the government took its business license that it robbed them of their "ability to pursue the American dream."

"The fight is far from over, but from the bottom of our hearts we are sending out the biggest of thanks to the community that kept us safe, gave us a reason to fight, and picked us up every single time we got knocked down," the owners said.

"No matter how determined we were, it would not have been possible to weather the storm if it were just us," the owners added. "Our members, the local community, the people of New Jersey, around the country, and around the world made it all possible."

During the lockdown, when the gym wasn't permitted to operate and accept payments, the Instagram post said the gym was able to stay afloat from donations and t-shirt sales.


Smith announced he was running for Congress in January. Smith plans to challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Andy Kim to represent New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.

"I am truly excited to have the possibility to serve the people of [New Jersey] with a platform focused on liberty, small government, and America First policies," Smith declared.

Smith was arrested on March 27, and charged with driving while intoxicated. Smith told police that he had one alcoholic beverage – a margarita. Police cruiser dashcam video shows Smith's vehicle swerving between lanes while driving.

According to NJ.com, Smith told police officers during his arrest, "You know I’m a congressional candidate for this district, right?"

Steve Kush, a spokesman for Smith, said he believes his client passed the sobriety tests and said, "He wasn’t drunk for obvious reasons."