Three Wheeling licensees plead liable after compliance checks; commission assesses fines and a one-day suspension

The Wheeling Liquor Commission held three hearings May 19 related to the police department's annual compliance checks and imposed fines after licensees pleaded liable for selling alcohol to underage individuals.

At the first hearing, a representative for Keining Corporation doing business as Chicago Ramen Wheeling, store manager Terumi Tokita, testified and pleaded "liable" after the March 26 incident in which an employee served alcohol to a minor. Tokita said the employee "knew she had to ask for ID" but did not calculate the age and the sale occurred. Commissioners recessed for deliberation and later approved a fine of $500 plus administrative court costs equal to one-third of the court costs incurred that evening; payment was set due no later than May 26. The commission said an order with the information will be served on the business.

At the second hearing, Tej Patel, an owner of RMPT Beverages LLC doing business as S W EJ Wine and Liquor (208 McHenry Road), pleaded liable on behalf of the licensee. Patel told the commission the employee who sold alcohol afterward completed a server training course again and the business hired a manager to provide on-site supervision. The commission moved to assess a $1,500 fine, a one-day suspension to be served June 9 during business hours, and administrative court costs equal to one-third of that evening's costs, payable by May 26.

At the third hearing, Agnes Colon, front-end manager for Christina's Deli Inc. doing business as KD Market (835 West Dundee Road), pleaded liable after an employee sold liquor to an underage individual. Colon said the store's ID-check system would flag the correct date but the employee entered an incorrect date; Colon said she spoke with the employee and the employee "took the full responsibilities." The commission assessed a $500 fine and administrative court costs equal to one-third of the evening's costs, payable by May 26.

Commissioner Krueger asked each licensee whether the servers had completed server training; in one case the server was not trained, in others retraining or certificate evidence was supplied. The commission indicated orders detailing the penalties would be issued to each business.