SF Man, 67, Caught Shoplifting Cheese, Wine, Meat During Minor Decoy Sting: Central Marin Police

CORTE MADERA, CA – Officers who were conducting a sting Saturday in Corte Madera to catch people who buy alcohol for minors also cited a San Francisco man for allegedly shoplifting more than $400 worth of wine, expensive cheeses, beef tenderloin and other items, the Central Marin Police Authority reported Wednesday.

Police said Stephen Gude, 67, agreed to buy alcohol for a person younger than 21 during a "shoulder tap" operation, which involved the minor decoy standing outside Safeway at Corte Madera Town Center while an agent from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and officers with the Central Marin Police Authority looked on.

During the sting, the minor indicates that he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol themselves. Any adult who agrees and provides alcohol to the decoy is arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Central Marin police conducted the sting at four different locations Saturday and 24 adults were contacted, with 23 of them declining to buy alcohol for the minor — except Gude, police said. He allegedly purchased a six-pack of beer and gave it to the decoy outside the store.

According to Central Marin police, "When officers detained him, they discovered a bottle of wine and four packages of smoked salmon under his coat. The salmon was cold to the touch and had obviously just come from refrigeration. When asked about the items, he said he was just holding them and didn’t want them to get stolen. Officers could see a pile of food items loose on the floorboard of his car, including several bottles of wine, chocolate, beef tenderloins, and some expensive cheeses — also still cold to the touch."

Police confirmed the merchandise, which added up to approximately $400, was from Safeway.

Gude was cited on suspicion of shoplifting and furnishing alcohol to a minor, then released at the scene, police said.

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