Clerks at three local stores have been cited for selling beer to a minor as a result of an undercover investigation conducted last Thursday, October 22 by detectives of the Smithville Police Department.

Amber Gayle Coots, 31, of T&B Discount Tobacco and Beer at 102 East Broad Street; thirty-year old Sonni Amruthai Patel of the Sunoco Convenience Market at 598 East Broad Street and thirty-seven year old Ender Alexander Cabrera of Disco Tienda Latina of East Broad Street were each cited for sale of alcohol to a person under age 21. They are scheduled for a court appearance on November 5.

Police Chief Mark Collins said Detectives James Cornelius and Brandon Donnell conducted the investigation using a 19 year-old undercover agent to make the purchases. The action was taken based on recent public complaints.

“I have had several complaints from concerned citizens who suspected this activity at some of these stores. We got an undercover person who went into 14 different stores in town trying to make beer purchases and all but three followed the law and checked his ID. I would like to thank the store owners who did it right. I respect them for that,” said Chief Collins.

“We started early afternoon on Thursday. Detective Donnell and I were in a surveillance vehicle driving the undercover agent to each location. He went into 14 different establishments and three of them sold beer to him. We video recorded him getting out of the vehicle, going into the establishments, and coming back out with the beer. The undercover agent also had video and audio recording equipment on him. We then went back and issued citations to the clerks who conducted the transactions,” said Detective Cornelius.

According to the citations, the undercover agent bought a six-pack of 16 ounce Natural Ice Beer from Coots; a six-pack of 12 ounce Natural Ice Beer from Patel; and a 25 ounce Michelob Ultra Beer from Cabrera.

The three store owners will also face sanctions for city beer ordinance violations. The penalty for a first offense violation is a 90 day suspension of the stores’ beer license.