Seven clerks arrested for selling beer to a teenager in Columbia County

Columbia County, New York – On June 12, 2015, New York State Police and State Liquor Authority personnel conducted an underage drinking enforcement operation in Columbia County. Several stores and bars were checked by utilizing a 20-year-old volunteer to purchase alcoholic beverages under the observation of plainclothes investigators supported by uniformed troopers. Seven subjects sold an alcoholic beverage to the volunteer and were arrested. The following persons were charged during the operation:

Heather L. Leslie, 38 years old, of Chatham, employed by Side Door Grille in Chatham

Lal Girdhari, 72, of Chatham, employed by the Getty Mart in Chatham

Lorraine P. Czerno, age 60, of New Lebanon, employed by Backwater Grille in Canaan

Jatinder Sharma, 23 years old, of East Greenbush, employed by the Sunoco Station in the Village of Chatham

Tina Skorput-Cooper, 50, of West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, employed by the Sunoco Station in Canaan

Patricia F. Jones, 50 years old, of Stephentown, employed by New Lebanon EZ Mart

Joseph Vandusen, 28, of Nassau, employed by Thruway Beverage in New Lebanon

The defendants were charged with the misdemeanor of Prohibited Sale of Alcohol. They were issued appearance tickets to appear in local courts at a later date and released. In addition, their employers face possible civil penalties imposed by the State Liquor Authority.

The New York State Police, with investigative support provided by the New York State Liquor Authority, routinely conducts underage drinking enforcement operations throughout the state in an effort to curb alcohol abuse and DWI incidents among teenagers.