Liquor board goes easy on store after Moses intervenes

Former board chief praises staff

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Charles County Board of License Commissioners reduced the standard first-offense penalty for Holiday Liquors of Waldorf after former chairman Lemon Moses defended the store’s record.

‘‘When I read this case in the paper, I was very surprised,” Moses told the liquor board. ‘‘I knew something must be wrong.”

Moses said that he used to visit area liquor stores, purchase scratch-off lottery tickets and observe how the staffs handled their duties.

He said Holiday Liquors was ‘‘one of the toughest places to buy liquor” underage.

The liquor board praised Holiday Liquors in a November 2007 press release for passing its compliance check last year.

The store sold an underage police informant a six pack of beer earlier this year.

After Moses spoke, liquor board member Wayne Magoon said that ‘‘with that high recommendation” he would move to fine the store and the clerk, but not order the store to close.

The board fined the store $500 and the clerk who served the underage person $150. Since this was a first offense, instead of closing the store, the board held three days in abeyance for two years.

The board also fined Lee’s Market in Indian Head $1,000 and ordered the store closed for four days after a Charles County sheriff’s officer observed a clerk selling alcohol to an authorized underage person. The store cannot sell alcoholic beverages and must remove them from public view from May 12 through 15.

In addition, the board fined Longhorn Steakhouse in Waldorf $500 and the clerk $150 for selling alcohol to a minor. The board also ordered that no alcoholic beverages can be served in the restaurant May 19 and 20 with one day being held in abeyance.