In a focused clampdown on illegal alcohol sales in Polk County, two convenience store sales clerks have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, deputies report. The incident took place during a sting operation dubbed "Operation Pop Top" headed by the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The sting involved checking nine Lakeland convenience stores yesterday.
The PCSO initiative, which targets retailers selling alcoholic beverages to minors, employed an 18-year-old high school student, also a participant in the PCSO's Cadet 1000 program, to attempt these purchases. According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, selling alcohol to individuals under 21 is a violation of state law.
During this recent operation, Estefany Ferrera Martinez, 32, at the Circle K store on Kathleen Road, and Julian Aquinaga, 42, at the Circle K on US 98 North, were apprehended for selling alcohol to the underage student. Both clerks now face the charge of Selling an Alcoholic Beverage to a Person under 21 Years of Age (M2).
In a forthright assessment of the operation, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd did not mince words. "I don't see the two arrests as being successful. That just shows that not everyone is abiding by the state law. When every store and clerk is checking IDs, and refusing to sell to patrons under 21, that is when it is a success... and we're going to continue to work toward that," Judd stated, emphasizing the operation's ultimate goal of full compliance.
