In an effort to crack down on the illegal sale of alcohol to underage buyers, a sales clerk was arrested in Lake Wales during what is known as Operation Pop Top. The Polk County Sheriff's Office conducted the operation, which involved deputies and high school cadets from PCSO's Cadet 1000 program – an initiative for students considering careers in law enforcement. This collaborative enforcement campaign aims to ensure compliance with Florida's age restrictions on alcohol sales.
The latest sting, which took place on Thursday, November 20, involved visits to various stores throughout Polk County. Out of the ten stores visited in the Lake Wales area, only one store failed the compliance check – the Food Mart located at 19509 US 27. As reported by Polk County Sheriff's Office, a student working with the deputies was able to purchase alcohol at the store, which led to the arrest of the clerk, Ambreen Amber, for selling alcohol to a person under 21, a misdemeanor charge.
Sheriff Grady Judd issued a stern warning to retailers and their employees, saying, "My suggestion to these stores and their clerks is to check ID's and refuse to sell alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21. We do these checks often, and if someone sells to one of these students working with is," he continued, "that clerk will go to jail." The comments of the Polk County Sheriff's Office underscore the seriousness with which local authorities are treating the sale of alcohol to minors.
The arrested sales clerk, Amber, was taken to the Sheriff's Processing Center. Details regarding her arrest were confirmed by the sheriff's department and no further information on her case was provided, at the time of writing.
