SUTTER COUNTY – On August 2, 2024, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents teamed with deputies with the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a minor decoy operation aimed at clerks who sell alcohol to customers under the age of 21.  

During the operation, a decoy under 21 attempted to buy alcohol at 11 businesses.  Three clerks sold alcohol to the decoy, were cited for their actions, and now face a find of $250 and 24-32 hours of community service for a first violation.  The businesses may also face consequences.

“It is a simple act to ask to see identification to verify the age of a customer purchasing alcohol,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “ABC agents conduct these operations, along with their local law enforcement partners, to protect the public from crimes and crashes associated with underage drinking.”