By Sgt. Jack Nash
PIO OCSO
OKEECHOBEE — During the week of June 24, the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office conducted an operation to investigate local stores selling Alcohol, Tobacco, or Nicotine Dispensing Devices to underage persons.
The following attempts were made, and the following locations did not sell Alcohol, Tobacco, or Nicotine Dispensing Devices to an underage person:
• A&J Discount Food Mart- 4034 Southeast 26th Street- No sale,
• A2Z Liquor- 3405 Highway 441 South- No sale,
• Bravo Supermarket- 802 State Road 70 East- No sale,
• BP- 4993 Highway 441 South- No sale,
• Circle K- 237 Highway 98 North- No sale,
• Circle K- 3761 Highway 441 North- No sale,
• Country Cooler- 701 State Road 70 West- No sale,
• Country Corner Drive Thru- 8675 Highway 441 Southeast- No sale,
• Country Corner Liquor- 8675 Highway 441 Southeast- No sale,
• Country Hills Store- 14025 Highway 441 North- No sale,
• Cracker Trail Food Mart- 18048 Highway 98 North - No sale,
• Dollar General- 2125 Highway 441 Southeast-No sale,
• Dollar General- 1640 Highway 70 West- No sale,
• Dollar General- 3040 Highway 441 North- No sale,
• Exhale Smoke Shop- 3651 Highway 441 Southeast- No sale,
• Family Dollar- 1984 State Road 70 East- No sale,
• Family Dollar- 930 State Road 70 East- No sale,
• Fast Break- 1505 State Road 78 West-No sale,
• Food Mart- 3612 Southeast 34th Avenue- No sale,
• Fort Drum General Store- 31309 Highway 441 North- No sale,
• La Fiesta Supermarket- 1774 State Road 70 West- No sale,
• Marathon- 118 Highway 441 South - No sale,
• Marathon- 3007 State Road 70 East-No sale,
• Mary Ann Corner Store- 30 Highway 98 North- No sale,
• Murphy USA- 2109 Highway 441 South- No sale,
• One Stop Food Store- 1212 State Road 70 East- No sale,
• Publix Super Market- 3551 Highway 441 South- No sale,
• Raceway- 1596 State Road 70 East- No sale,
• Shell- 3609 Highway 441 Southeast- No sale,
• Town Star- 12800 State Road 70 East- No sale,
• Town Star- 8605 Highway 441 Southeast- No sale,
• Town Star- 1865 Highway 70 West- No sale,
• Town Star- 2398 Highway 70 West- No sale,
• Walgreens- 100 State Road 70 West- No sale,
• Wawa- 200 State Road 70 West- No sale,
• Winn-Dixie Supermarket- 3246 Highway 441 South- No sale,
• Winn Dixie Supermarket Liquor- 3246 Highway 441 South- No sale,
• 700A Country Store- 22302 NW 176th Avenue- No sale.
In the following locations, the underage person was able to purchase Alcohol, Tobacco, or a Nicotine Dispensing Device:
• Aldi- 330 Highway 441 South – Alcoholic Beverage purchased,
• Bills Mini Mart- 3007 State Road 70 East- Alcoholic Beverage purchased,
• Exhale Smoke Shop-1705 Highway 441 South- Nicotine Dispensing Device purchased,
• La Fiesta Supermarket- 1774 State Road 70 West- Outside bystander provided an underage person with an Alcoholic Beverage,
• La Placita- 1002 State Road 70 West- Alcoholic Beverage purchased,
• Lake and Trail USA- 1253 State Road 78 West- Alcoholic Beverage purchased,
• RaceTrac- 975 State Road 70 East- Alcoholic Beverage purchased,
• Rocket Fuel- 511 Highway 441 South- Alcoholic Beverage purchased,
• Sunoco Gas Station- 3093 Highway 98 North- Alcoholic Beverage purchased,
• Town Star- 3993 State Road 710- Alcoholic Beverage purchased.
Please note while attempting to buy alcohol at La Fiesta Supermarket, the underage person was unable to purchase alcohol in the store. Once the underage person exited the store, the underage person was provided an alcoholic beverage by a person in the La Fiesta parking lot. This individual was issued a notice to appear for violating Florida Statute 562.11(1)(a), Selling, giving, or serving alcoholic beverages to a person under age 21.
In the instances where Alcohol or a Nicotine Dispensing Device (Vape Pen) was sold or provided to the underage person, the individual who sold or provided the item to the underage person was issued a notice to appear in the Okeechobee County Court (Instead of physical arrest).
The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office continually strives to keep Okeechobee and our visitors safe, and this operation is one of many ways. Let’s all do our part to keep our community safe.
If you know of anyone providing Alcohol, Tobacco, or a Nicotine Dispensing Device to a person under the age of 21, please contact the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office at (863) 763-3117.
