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14 adults, 2 juveniles charged
Published 12:00am Wednesday, February 19, 2003The complaints charge each of the adults with persons under 21; illegal acts, purchasing. Those charged include: Joel Scott Bergland, 33, Perham, who allegedly sold alcohol to a minor at the Spare Time Bar, located just outside Perham; Joyce Elaine Vogt, 45, Henning, who works at Bonnie and Clyde’s in Clitherall; Kathaline Kay Stoops, 26, Fergus Falls, who works at the Silver Dollar in Elizabeth; Robin Marie Jones, 45, Dent, who works at Spanky’s Stone Hearth in Frazee; Larry Eugene Griepentrog, 63, Erhard, who works at the Erhard Municipal Liquor Store; Melissa Mae Huisenga, 22, Wadena, who works at Brewski’s Bar in Deer Creek; Tisha Ann Morical, 32, Battle Lake, who works at Graystone on Otter Tail Lake; Glendon Dayton Lutz, 65, Ottertail, who works at the Otter Supper Club in Ottertail; Nicole June Mattfeld, 25, Underwood, who works at Marie’s Tavern in Underwood; Audrey Bernice Ronning, 76, Detroit Lakes, who works at Hidden Acres Bar and Resort in Vergas; Joni Lee Schmitz, 26, Wadena, who works at Trackside Restaurant and Lounge near Wadena; Leah Helen Schwartz, 19, Perham, who works at Perham Oasis near Perham; Sara Dawn Schwarz, 20, Underwood, who works at Under-Mart in Underwood; and Lisa Michelle Shelton, 22, Dalton, who works at the Dalton American Legion. Originally, the Otter Tail County Attorney’s Office received 20 reports of potential violations. Four of the reports were deemed not appropriate for charges. Selling liquor to minors is a gross misdemeanor crime with a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $3,000 fine. Juvenile delinquency complaints are being filed against the two juveniles who allegedly sold alcohol to minors. Deputies and four minors checked a total of 57 businesses. Of those, 16 failed the check. That’s down from the 37 during the last compliance check in 2000. In addition to the charges against individuals for selling to minors, the county-licensed businesses that failed the compliance check were issued liquor retail license administrative citations. It’s apparently up to individual cities whether to take administrative actions against businesses they license. Paperwork will be sent to those cities for them to consider. The Alcohol Compliance Checks were conducted as part of a Youth Risk Behavior Education Program, funded by a grant directed at curbing the ability of minors to purchase alcohol and tobacco in Otter Tail County. The Minnesota Department of Public Health provided the funds for the program through a grant awarded to the Sheriff’s Department earlier this year. In an advanced effort to work with alcohol establishments, the Sheriff’s Office and County Attorney’s Office offered training to the businesses and their employees. The &uot;Best Practices&uot; training was aimed at helping the businesses understand the consequences of selling alcohol to minors by explaining the statutes that govern them as well as the civil liabilities that can be brought against them. The training was also aimed at helping them recognize some of the false identifications and excuses minors sometimes use in obtaining alcohol illegally. jim.sturgeon@fergusfallsjournal.com
