Businesses busted for selling booze to minor
Undercover sting results in three arrests
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| BILL PHELAN PHOTO Phillips 66 at 3910 Jeffco Blvd. in Arnold was one of three area businesses targeted by agents of the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control that sold liquor to an undercover minor working for the division. |
Peter Lobdell, a DATC supervisor, said the division conducted 12 alcohol compliance check investigations in St. Louis and Jefferson counties on May 18. In each of those investigations, a minor working with the division was sent into various businesses to try and purchase alcohol.
Lobdell said the undercover minor was sold alcohol at three area businesses, Phillips 66 at 3910 Jeffco Blvd., operated by Midwest Petroleum and the 7-Eleven store at 4039 Jeffco Blvd., both in Arnold; and Express Mart, 7017 Route 61/67 in Barnhart, operated by Home Service Oil."The minors are wired for sound and are instructed to go in (to the business) and choose an item that might be purchased by a person under age, like a beer," Special Agent Nancy McGee said. "If the minor is asked their age they are required to tell the truth and if they are asked for identification they are required to show a valid driver's license."
By law, every undercover minor working for the DATC must be 18 or 19 years of age.
McGee said every precaution is taken to ensure the safety of the minor.
"They are accompanied into the store by an undercover agent who witnesses each transaction," she said. "If a purchase is made, our buyer leaves the store and is placed in a vehicle and then within a minute or two we go back inside and issue the clerk a summons right on the spot."
As a result of the Jefferson County operation, agents arrested three store clerks identified as Dorothy A. Hallenberger, 22, an employee at Midwest Petroleum; Andrea J. Becker, 49, a 7-Eleven employee; and Shane M. Combs, 18, a clerk at Home Service Oil. Each store clerk is charged with one misdemeanor count of selling liquor to a minor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
In addition to the charge facing each clerk, McGee said each of the stores will be cited for selling liquor to a minor and could face fines and/or suspension of their state liquor license. Each of the cited businesses are allowed to continue selling alcohol until the case against them is resolved.
While arrests were made in the sting operation, McGee said the agency's undercover minor was turned away at most Jefferson County stores the minor entered. Those stores included:
Highland Diversified, 7030 Route 61, Barnhart
Jeffco Market, 6003 Route 61, Imperial
U-Gas, 501 Jeffco Blvd., Arnold
Quik-Trip locations at 3700 and 1069 Jeffco Blvd., Arnold
Jeffco Station, 3998 Jeffco Blvd., Arnold
"We have found that the vast majority of our licensees are good corporate citizens," McGee said. "And when we do make an arrest, most of the time the clerk simply made an error is guessing a person's age or they are just lackadaisical. That's why it's important to check IDs."
