Conroe Police Department
PRESS RELEASE
On 05-30-09, Conroe Police uniformed officers and investigators assisted Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission agents in “Operation Graduation Night”, an undercover sting operation on alcohol retailers in the city of Conroe. Many local high schools have proms and graduation ceremonies in the month of May and typically many minors attempt to purchase alcohol prior to and after the celebrations.
Officers and agents visited 35 alcohol retail stores in the city limits of Conroe. Six of the stores sold alcohol to a minor in the presence of an officer. The sting operation generally uses a documented minor to attempt the purchase of alcohol under the direction and control of an accompanying officer. The transaction is also generally audio and video recorded.
If the clerk does sell alcohol, the clerk can be arrested for selling the alcohol to the minor. In each of the six cases where the alcohol was sold during Operation Graduation Night, the clerks were arrested and transported to the Montgomery County Jail. The charge is a class A misdemeanor offense punishable by up to one year in jail and a possible fine of up to $4000.00. In addition, the store is also subject to administrative penalties of fines, suspensions of their alcohol permit, or in cases of repeated offense, termination of the alcohol sales permit.
The six stores that sold alcohol during the sting operation were:
Gas N Stuff 101 Commercial Circle
Kroger #736 220 Loop 336 West South
M & M Food Store 804 Gladstell Suite 100
South Loop Spirits Inc. 224 South Loop 336 West, Suite E
Spin N Market #6 1635 S 1st Street
Timewise Food Store #235 200 Loop 336 West South (repeat offender, 2nd offense)
In addition to the six arrests, officers and agents made one arrest for Driving While Intoxicated while traveling from one store to next. Agents observed a white passenger car signal a right turn as it approached an intersection and at the same time move over into the oncoming lane of traffic before making the turn. In addition, when the car turned, it almost struck another vehicle. The driver was stopped, interviewed, and arrested for DWI. The initial interview at the scene revealed the driver’s breath alcohol content was almost twice the legal limit.
