Sheriff: Zero businesses sold alcohol to minor during recent underage drinking operation

Published 11:48 am Friday, September 9, 2022

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In August, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted two operations in the Bogalusa area to identify businesses that might sell alcohol to underage persons, according to Chief Criminal Deputy Mike Haley.

On Aug. 12, a total of 14 businesses were visited and clerks at five of the establishments were cited for failing to check for age identification and selling alcohol to an underage person. Those five businesses were the Carolina Stop and Save, Highway 10 One Stop, JZ Quick Stop, Highway 10 Chevron and Jr. Food Mart.

Haley said that another underage drinking operation was conducted on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 17 businesses in both Bogalusa and Franklinton. Clerks at none of those businesses were willing to sell alcohol to the underage buyer, Haley said.

“In both operations, a total of 26 parish businesses refused to sell alcohol to an underage buyer,” Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal said. “That is a credit to each business and each clerk working therein. I extend my thanks to all of them for following the law and keeping alcohol out of the hands of underage buyers. Hopefully, the five businesses which did not follow the law learned a valuable lesson on the importance of requiring identification for each person who attempts to purchase alcohol.”