THOUSAND OAKS : 13 Cited for Selling Alcohol to Minors
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A sting operation mounted by Ventura County sheriff’s deputies and underage trainees cited 13 businesses in eastern Ventura County for selling alcohol to minors, Sgt. Ray Nagle said Saturday.
Three Moorpark and 10 Thousand Oaks establishments were caught in the sting, which targeted 70 businesses, Nagle said.
Thirteen clerks were arrested, cited and released Thursday night on misdemeanor charges that carry up to six months in jail and a possible $500 fine, Nagle said. The clerks were cited after failing to verify the true age of 18- and 19-year-old Sheriff’s Department Explorers as they attempted to purchase alcohol.
A list of the businesses involved will be forwarded to the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control for possible fines or suspension of liquor licenses, Nagle said.
“Our clerk misread the ID,” said Labib Hawa, 53, owner of Conejo Valley Liquor in Newbury Park, one of the businesses cited in the sweep. “He didn’t sell it to them intentionally.”
The sting is part of a continuing effort by the Sheriff’s Department to halt the sale of alcohol to minors, Nagle said.
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