(SCSO media release) — The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office and agents from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) cited two suspects on August 19, 2024, for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors in Live Oak and Yuba City. One of the suspects who bought alcohol for the minor was also arrested on a $15,000 warrant. The other suspect who did not buy alcohol for the minor told the decoy, he had a warrant. The suspect was contacted by law enforcement and cited and released for a $1,000 warrant and being in possession of a user amount of cocaine.

ABC agents and local law enforcement conducted a Shoulder Tap operation, which targets adults who purchase alcohol for persons under the age of 21. A minor under the direct supervision of law enforcement stands outside of a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy them alcohol. The minor also indicates they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.

If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, they can be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

“We conduct these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “By preventing underage drinking we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the ABC Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program