Brandon Area Clerks Charged With Selling Alcohol to Minors

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco teamed up yesterday to remind store clerks that selling alcohol to minors is against the law.

During the countywide sting, 141 retail alcohol vendors received a visit from 18- to 19-year-old undercover administrative aides. Those that sold alcohol to the minors paid the price.

In the Greater Brandon area, four clerks were among the 31 arrested during the March 8 sting. They are:

• Jose Neyra, 25, at , 1020 S. Kings Ave.

• An unidentified employee at Mobile Gas Station, 1649 Brandon Blvd.

• Duc Truong, 28, at Jump Start BP, 1005 E Lumsden Rd.

• Stephen Pulikeel, Seffner Food Store, 340 MLK Dr. in Seffner; this was his fifth arrest for selling alcohol to a person under 21, the sheriff's office reports.

All of those arrested were issued a notice to appear in court and were released at the scene, sheriff’s office officials say.

The crackdown was planned to raise awareness about underage drinking as Spring Break 2012 gets under way, the sheriff’s office said in a media release. Deputies will continue to spot check stores throughout the Spring Break season, the release states.

News To Know From the Tampa Alcohol Coalition:

• Alcohol is the most-abused drug among adolescents and adults.
• Alcohol is a nervous system depressant.
• Some 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die every year because of underage drinking.
• Some 1,700 college students between the ages 18 and 24 die each year from unintentional injuries, including mother vehicles, related to alcohol use.