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Last updated on Friday, April 4, 2014
(TELL CITY) - Indiana State Excise Police officers searched a Tell City residence Thursday and seized a still that had been posted on Facebook.
Excise officers began their investigation in February, when they received a tip about a Facebook post that appeared to contain a distilling apparatus. Officers found additional photos and posts that indicated that a Tell City man was manufacturing and distributing untaxed liquor.
Thursday, excise officers served a search warrant at the residence of Jeremy D. Thompson, 39, at 623 12th Street in Tell City.
They seized evidence that included a distilling apparatus, along with containers containing liquor that Thompson said was untaxed liquor that he had produced, a hydrometer and other devices used to produce the untaxed liquor.
Preliminary charges include of Possession of Unlicensed Equipment for the Production of Alcoholic Beverages, a Class C misdemeanor, Sale without a Permit, a Class B misdemeanor, Unauthorized Dealings, a Class B misdemeanor, two charges related to the Sale of Untaxed Alcoholic Beverages, as a Class B misdemeanor and as a Class C misdemeanor.
"The production of unregulated alcohol is a public safety concern that cannot be ignored," Superintendent Matt Strittmatter said. "State Excise officers will continue to investigate any information that is received concerning the illegal production of liquor."
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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