Exposing Underage Alcohol Sales

BLUE RIDGE, GA – On Thursday, September 14, 2017, an operation led by Captain Justin Turner, ended with many establishments in Fannin County being cited for furnishing alcohol to a person under the age of 21.

After receiving complaints, some from school resource officers, the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office decided to conduct an undercover operation to validate these allegations.

The Sheriff’s Office began work that Thursday evening and continued into the late hours of the night. In all, 11 establishments were visited, with just under half that number serving drinks to underage purchasers.

Among the establishments that received citations were Rebecca Weber at Chesters, and Brendan Doyle at The Boro Inn. Both of these establishments are located in downtown Blue Ridge.

Also receiving citations were Ritesh Rajyaguru at Raceway located on Highway 515, Jerilyn Cuadill at Exxon located on the corner of Highway 515 and McKinney Road, and William Spriggs at Beer Barn located on East First Street.

While nearly half the establishments investigated received citations, six were credited with no sale. Those who refused the sale of alcohol were The Last Stop and The Vault, both located in Downtown Blue Ridge, Cheveron at Josh Hall Road, and Bill’s Convenience Store at the corner of Hwy 2 and Hwy 5, BP on West First Street.

All suspects receiving a citation are scheduled to appear in court on November 13, 2017.