Politics & Government

15 Stores Charged with Selling Alcohol to Minors

Authorities conducted check over the weekend.

Fifteen Milford stores allegedly failed a weekend test by selling alcohol to minors, authorities said.

Two volunteer minors, 19-year-olds provided by the Governor's Prevention Partnership, helped agents from the Liquor Control Division and officers from the Milford Police Department conduct a series of compliance checks at 29 package and grocery stores that sell beer in Milford, according to officials. 

You have to be 21 to drink alcohol legally in Connecticut.

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Of the 29 stores tested, 15 stores allegedly failed by selling alcoholic liquor to one of the youths, according to authorities. 

Officials identified the stores which allegedly failed as:

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Colony News and Lotto, 400 Boston Post Road.

Shoprite of Milford, 157 Cherry Street.

Food Fare Deli and Market, 1064 East Broadway.

TJ Package Store, 43 River Street.

Liquor Connection, 930 Boston Post Road.

Woodmont Package Store, 1548 New Haven Avenue.

Costco Wholesale, 1718 Boston Post Road.

Fairway Liquor Mart, 597-601 Bridgeport Ave.

Wines and More, 232 Boston Post Road.

Milford Wines and Spirits, 148 Welchs Point Road.

Village Wine Shoppe, 324 Naugatuck Ave.

Jolly Jug Package Store, 38 Naugatuck Ave.

Total Wine and Spirits, 175 Cherry St.

Pond Point Wine and Spirits, 563 New Haven Ave.

Loading Dock Wine and Spirits, 1469-B Boston Post Road.

“Compliance checks help us to identify businesses that are selling to minors, and we routinely conduct random checks in towns across the state,” Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein said.

“Our objective is to find stores that knowingly or unknowingly sell alcohol to minors and bring them into compliance with state law.”

However, he added, compliance checks are not intended to hurt local businesses.

“We do not try to trick or entice establishments to sell alcoholic beverages to youth,” Rubenstein said. “If asked for proof of age before making a liquor purchase, the volunteer youth will hand over his or her actual photo I.D.”

The 15 stores have been charged with selling alcohol to a minor and will be brought before the Liquor Control Commission for an administrative hearing, at which time they will have an opportunity to address the charges.

MilfordPatch called a couple of the stores for comment.

The Liquor Control Commission says it has leeway in levying of penalties.  It may consider past violations for sales to a minor, and/or additional violations that were evident during the compliance check, such as not posting a permit. 

All evidence is considered at a hearing, which will be scheduled for each permitted location that allegedly sold to a minor, a spokesperson for the commission said. A first violation may typically result in a fine of approximately $250 and one day’s suspension of liquor permit, the spokesperson said.

Rekha Trivevi, manager of Colony News, said a helper who was filling in for a few hours on Saturday made the mistake.

"We check all the time," she said. "He was just helping out."

A salesman who answered the phone at Village Wine and would only identify himself as Ron said he wasn't working Saturday, but he suspects the owner would beef up ID checks.

"I don't know what happened," he said.


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