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Last updated on Monday, January 6, 2014
(EVANSVILLE) - Indiana State Excise Police officers arrested 30 people on 38 charges and cited a bar and a liquor store in Evansville last night.
Most of the arrests were for underage drinking at a party on Evansville's west side.
Excise officers arrested 25 minors - including five less than 18 years of age - on preliminary charges of illegal consumption of alcohol at a party in the 2400 block of W. Franklin. One person was also charged with false informing. Evansville Police Department had received a complaint of underage drinking at this residence and contacted excise officers for assistance. Once there, officers found more than two dozen minors had been consuming alcohol - some of them testing as high as .15% BAC. Five 17-year-olds were cited and released to their parents. Evansville police also arrested three people on drug-related charges.
Excise officers also cited Al's Bar, 301 W. Columbia, on six alcohol, tobacco and gambling charges. Al's Bar was preliminarily charged with unlawful purchase of liquor from another retailer, selling alcohol on credit and being a public nuisance for professional gambling and promoting professional gambling, a felony. Al's Bar was also charged with three separate violations of the state's Smoke-Free Air Law: failure to remove ashtrays, failing to post interior signs and failure to post signs at the entrance. Officers seized several bottles of liquor and evidence of unlawful gambling. Al's Bar also received a written warning for price discrimination.
University Liquors, 4920 University Blvd., was preliminarily charged with allowing a minor to loiter (two counts), sale of alcohol to a minor (two counts), failure to maintain employee permit records and having an unlicensed employee. Officers also arrested three minors (ages 17, 19 and 20) on 11 charges after they left this liquor store. Preliminary charges included: Illegal possession of alcohol (X2), illegal transportation of alcohol (X2), minor in liquor store (X2), possession of false ID (X2), false statement of age (X2), furnishing alcohol to a minor and false informing.
Those arrested will appear in Vanderburgh Misdemeanor Count on later dates.
As the enforcement division of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, the primary mission of the Indiana State Excise Police is to promote public safety by enforcing Indiana's Alcoholic Beverage Code. While excise officers have the authority to enforce any state law, they focus primarily on alcohol, tobacco and related laws.
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