LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Jan. 4, 2008)—Five of twenty-three St. Mary's County stores tested failed an undercover alcohol sale to minors sting that was conducted by the County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, Dec. 30. Between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Senior Deputy First Class Emory Johnson and Senior Deputy First Class D. Ross, along with an 18-year-old confidential informant, conducted an underage controlled buy operation in the middle and southern portions of St. Mary's County.
The stores that failed the operation and made sales of an alcoholic beverage to the underage informant were: Marilyn McKay's Liquors, The Tackle Box, Canopy Liquors, Hal's Food Mart, and Piney Point Market. These businesses will be brought before the Alcohol Board for St. Mary's County.
The employees that made the sales were issued a civil citation for furnishing an alcoholic beverage to a person known to be under twenty-one.
The establishments that successfully passed the operation and did not make sales to the under age informant were: Cook's Liquors Hollywood, Snellman's General Merchandise, The Early Bird, Wild Wood Wine and Spirits, Bay Country Liquors, Jug Head's Liquors, ABC Liquors, Esperanza Shell, JC Wine and Spirits, Pegg's Shell, The Sign of the Whale, 2000 Liquors, County Liquors, Discount Tobacco Beer Wine and Liquor, St. Mary's Fine Wine and Liquors, International Beverages and Cadillac Jacks, Prices Liquors, and Beacon Liquors.
The operation was part of an ongoing program by the County Sheriff to ensure that local stores do not sell alcohol and tobacco products to persons under the age of twenty-one and eighteen respectively.