“California ABC agents encounter all kinds of law enforcement situations in their work combatting underage drinking and enforcing ABC laws.  They work undercover in bars and restaurants and conduct routine decoy and shoulder tap operations.  All of this works to keep our communities safe.”

–CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

SUTTER COUNTY – On August 19, 2024, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and Sutter County Sheriff’s Office deputies cited two suspects for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors during a shoulder tap operation in Live Oak and Yuba City.   

During the operation in which a decoy under the age of 21 asks customers entering a store to purchase alcohol for them, one of the people who bought alcohol for the decoy was determined to have a $15,000 warrant for his arrest.

One person who was approached by the decoy chose not to buy alcohol for the decoy, stating he had a warrant. That person was contacted by law enforcement officers supervising the decoy, and cited and released for a $1,000 warrant and being in possession of a user amount of cocaine.

If adults agree to purchase alcohol for an underage person, they can be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

“We conduct these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “By preventing underage drinking we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).