BOARDMAN 3 accused of selling alcohol to minors

Underage buyers obtained alcoholic beverages at three eateries, police said.
BOARDMAN -- Employees at three restaurants recently were charged after being accused of serving alcoholic beverages to underage patrons during compliance checks by plainclothes Boardman police officers.
In all, eight businesses were checked for compliance Sept. 13 and Sept. 22. Three restaurants -- Red Lobster, 1410 Boardman-Poland Road; Aladdin's Eatery, 7325 South Ave.; and Bruno's Restaurant, 1984 Boardman-Poland Road -- served alcoholic beverages to minors, police said.
Employees at Red Lobster and Aladdin's failed to ask for identification before serving minors, according to police reports. At Aladdin's, the report continued, the waitress was underage and asked the hostess to serve the alcohol. Neither asked for an ID. At Bruno's Restaurant, police reports said, a bartender asked for identification but still sold beer to an underage buyer.
In compliance: Establishments that refused to sell alcohol to the minors all asked for identification. They are R.L. Lipton Distributing Co., 491 McClurg Road; Boathouse Restaurant, 7323 South Ave.; Caff & eacute; Capri Italian Bar & amp; Grill, 7807 Market St.; Springfield Grille, 7413 Tiffany Blvd. South; and TJ's in the Holiday Inn, 7410 South Ave.
All 46 liquor permit holders in the township were notified three times in the past year that regular compliance checks would be conducted. Thus far, all but two of these establishments have been visited by plainclothes officers. Since December 2000, 15 of the 44 establishments visited have sold alcohol to underage buyers, resulting in a 66 percent compliance rate.
Previous compliance checks were conducted in December 2000 and July 2001.
Selling alcohol to a minor is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $500 or more than $1,000. In addition, a person may be imprisoned for up to six months.
Repeat violations can result in the establishment's being cited by the liquor control commission.