Three employees of Main & Mill Oyster Bar and Tavern are facing charges after North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement linked the Winterville restaurant to a Jan. 19 Greenville crash that killed one underage driver and injured another. Warrants name owner Davie Francisco Munoz, 38, manager Maria Elena Munoz, 25, and employee James Daniel West, 25. ALE has charged them with providing alcohol to someone under 21, with the Munozes also accused of failing to properly superintend the business and allowing unlawful activity, while West is accused of allowing unlawful conduct.
ALE investigation and surveillance
Agents opened an investigation into the Jan. 19 collision and say surveillance footage from the Winterville venue showed both underage individuals drinking at Main & Mill the night before the crash. ALE obtained warrants and filed the charges after tracing a private event back to the restaurant, according to ABC11.
State review and possible penalties
ALE will send its investigative file to the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, which reviews violation reports and can discipline permit holders. The Commission oversees retail permits and handles administrative actions such as fines, suspensions and revocations under state ABC rules, according to the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
Criminal exposure for furnishing minors
State law makes it illegal to sell, give or otherwise help an underage person obtain alcohol, and a person over the lawful age who aids or abets an underage purchase can face a Class 1 misdemeanor under G.S. 18B-302. That criminal exposure can bring fines and probation conditions, while separate administrative penalties may follow at the Commission level. ALE has pursued similar enforcement in past crashes, citing servers and establishments and referring cases for Commission review. See G.S. 18B-302 and reporting by WYFF4 for background on similar actions.
What to watch next
The ALE referral sets up a two-track process: criminal prosecutions could be pursued by local authorities while the ABC Commission considers administrative discipline, according to ABC11. Court dates and any Commission hearings have not yet been published, and those schedules will shape what comes next for the business and the individuals who were charged.
