Alcohol crackdown continues

A total of $5,750 in fines have been levied, several licenses to sell alcohol put on probation and one license suspended as Blue Ridge officials continue their enforcement of the city’s alcohol ordinance.

Blue Ridge City Court records show eight of 13 defendants charged with underage alcohol sales pled guilty and were fined during the March session of court.

Charges against the defendants resulted from a sting operation carried out by the Blue Ridge Police Department and Fannin County Sheriff’s Office in early December 2022. Seven of eight convenience stores licensed to sell alcohol in Blue Ridge were charged.

Their cases had been scheduled for the February session of city court, but were continued until March.

The individuals who pled guilty, their position, and their fine, listed by the name of their business, were:

•Valero: Sandeepkumal Patel, clerk and license holder, $1,000;

• Beer Barn: Bhaveshkumar Patel, clerk, $500; Raval Kirankumar, manager, $1,000;

•Windy Ridge Conoco: Kelsey Doris Karry, clerk, $250; Linda Sue Harvey, license holder, $1,000;

•Exxon at McKinney Road: Elizabeth L. Latta, manager, $1000;

•BP: Vipurkumar R. Prajapaf, clerk, $500; and,

•Raceway: Rajyaguru Ritesh, license holder, $500.

All that pled guilty were put on a 12 month probationary period, according to court records.

Charges were dismissed against:

•Raceway: Robert L. Byrd, clerk;

• BP: Hareshkumar D. Patel, owner; and,

• Exxon at McKinney Road: Hannah-Gabrielle Love Boone, clerk.

Charges against  James E. Allen, clerk; and Naveed Tayyab, owner, at Rebel Pantry were continued.

In an administrative move, one Blue Ridge business has lost its license to sell alcohol and another is on a three-month probationary period, putting that license in danger of permanent suspension.

City Administrator Eric Soroka said last week Pokito De Todo Mexican restaurant’s license has been suspended for failing to file its alcohol-to-food sales ratio report for the last quarter. For the license to be re-instated, the restaurant would have to successfully appeal to the city council.

Black Bier Beer Garden’s license is under a three month probationary period that will expire in June.

Soroka said the restaurant failed to meet the required 50/50 alcohol-to-food sales ratio for the last quarter. That ratio will be reviewed again in June and, if not met, a license suspension could result.

Under the city ordinance governing alcohol sales by the drink, the sale of alcohol cannot be more than 50 percent of the license holder’s total sales.

“We’ve got an ordinance on the books and we’re going to enforce it,” Soroka said.

“We get pretty good cooperation from most of the restaurants,” he continued.

Mayor Rhonda Haight praised the work of law enforcement and Soroka for their enforcement of the alcohol ordinance. “These efforts are going to be very positive  for our city,” she said.

Making sure the sales ratio is observed “ensures a restaurant atmosphere for our local citizens and visitors alike,” Haight said.