Illegal alcohol sales to minors net repeat offenders
SANTA BARBARA — Federal authorities acting under the auspices of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control conducted a minor decoy operation in Santa Barbara County Saturday and have issued citations pending disciplinary actions to local retailers.
A Goleta 7-11 store, already under pending federal actions, was cited for repeated offenses involving the selling of alcohol to person younger than 21 years of age. The investigation also found that The Isla Vista Market, a cornerstone of the community situated just outside the gates of University of California at Santa Barbara with a history of questionable retail transactions to underage shoppers, has also been found guilty of selling to minors.
According to state ABC authorities, decoy and sting operations such as this one have a history of returning a violation rate of approximately 20 percent; this series of operations in the Santa Barbara area netted a 33 percent violation rate.
Penalties to the offending retailers range from a minimum of $250 in fines to permanent removal of off-sale liquor licenses and substantial periods of community service.
