Suffolk Cites Clerks for Selling Booze, Tobacco to Minors

Source from:  BY JOSEPH MALLIA joseph.mallia@newsday.com November 5, 2007  11/06/2007

Ten sales clerks in Huntington face charges of selling of alcohol or tobacco to minors during the weekend, after a town-wide crackdown using underage volunteers to make the purchases, the Suffolk police said. Eleven clerks at other stores obeyed the New York State law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to anyone under 21 or the sale of tobacco to persons under 19 years old. Of the 21 stores where Second Precinct Crime Section officers staged the undercover purchases, some were chosen in direct response to community complaints while others were chosen at random. Charged with unlawfully dealing with a child 2nd degree for selling cigarettes to an underage individual were Nejdet Ozelgok, 56, BP, 245 Larkfield Rd., East Northport; and Sadan Ozdag, 46, Gulf, 1290 New York Ave., Huntington Station The following clerks were charged with unlawfully dealing with a child first degree for selling alcohol to a minor: Girishkumar Patel, 39, One Stop Deli, 246 Pulaski Rd., East Northport Christopher Mennella, 19, Super Star Beer and Soda, 516 East Rte. 25, Huntington Station Anthony Baiocco, 50, Exxon, 472 West Rte. 25, West Hills Jose Tavarez, 43, Mishael Grocery, 1454 New York Ave., Huntington Station Sean Watson, 20, Dairy Barn, 430 Larkfield Rd., East Northport Coskun Akkok, 56, U.S. Petroleum, 6077 East Rte. 25 Commack Charanjeet Sareen, 51, Exxon, 341 West Rte. 25, Huntington Station Mehdi Raza, 21, Super Duper Convenience, 1797 New York Ave., Huntington Station All were issued field appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear Jan. 11 at First District Court in Central Islip. The following 11 establishments complied with state law and refused sale of alcohol and tobacco to underage individuals: Food Star, 304 Larkfield Rd., East Northport AMOCO, 272 East Rte. 25, Huntington Station Valero, 445 West Rte. 25, Huntington Station Deli Casa Grande, 150 West Hills Rd., Huntington Station Apple Food Mart, 326 Larkfield Rd., East Northport Citgo, 248 Larkfield Rd., East Northport Brothers Deli, 243 Broadway, Greenlawn 7-Eleven, 3041 Rte. 25, Elwood Hess, 5087 East Rte. 25, Commack 7-Eleven, 2428 Broadhollow Rd., Melville Sunoco, 114 Broadhollow Rd., Melville The Suffolk police said the operation is ongoing and will be conducted on various dates throughout the year. Enditem