Police checked 24 businesses during an underage drinking initiative before the Fourth of July holiday.

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On Friday, New York State Police in Wappinger conducted an underage drinking initiative at 24 locations in Dutchess County. New York State Police routinely perform checks on numerous retail locations that sell alcohol to ensure their compliance with New York State’s (NYS) Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law and crackdown on underage drinking, officials say.

According to the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, underage drinking is associated with the three most common causes of death among youth who consume alcohol, including accidental deaths, homicides and suicides.

During the operation, four employees at separate retail establishments were arrested for selling an alcoholic beverage to an undercover State Police operative:

  • A 22-year-old from Newburgh an employee of Beekman Food Mart located at 2444 Route 55 in Poughquag.
  • A 22-year-old from Poughkeepsie, an employee of Lagrange Valero located at 1144 Route 55 in Lagrange.
  • A 50-year-old from Poughkeepsie, an employee of Sunoco Convenience Mart located at 740 Main Street in Poughkeepsie.
  • A 51-year-old from Poughkeepsie, an employee of the 7-Eleven located at 266 Hooker Avenue in Poughkeepsie.

All four were charged with prohibited sales of an alcoholic beverage and unlawfully dealing with a child, both Class A misdemeanors.

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