5 Crystal Lake Businesses Fail Alcohol Compliance Checks

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL - Five businesses sold alcohol illegally during recent compliance checks in Crystal Lake, police said Thursday.

Police conducted cmopliance checks at 73 businesses in the city starting on May 4 and continuing through Wednesday, according to a news release. Of those businesses, police said the following five sold alcohol illegaly:

• Garfield's Beverage Warehouse, 305 West Virginia Street
• Midwest Petroleum (Citgo), 7615 Route 14
• Crystal Lake Country Club, 721 Country Club Road
• Krystal Thai III- 230 West Virginia Street
• Papa Saverio’s Pizzeria- 540 East Terra Cotta Avenue

In all of the 73 businesses, persons under the age of twenty-one, cooperating under the guidance and supervision of officers, entered and attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages, according to the news release.

In all but five locations, sales were halted when the clerk or business employee properly checked the purchaser’s identification and recognized them as being underage and therefore ineligible to make such a purchase.

Clerks or employees completing the illegal sales were cited with an adjudication citation, and are subject to penalties to be determined at a hearing.

"With traffic crashes as the leading cause of death among adolescent Americans, coupled with alcohol as the leading causative factor, the Crystal Lake Police Department strives to develop a partnership with local merchants to help them achieve the goal of zero sales to minors," according to the news release.

These Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement checks are done randomly throughout the year and will continue in the future, police said.