The St. Mary's County Alcohol Beverage Board on Oct. 11 accepted an admission of violation from Boatman's Mini Mart following an Aug. 1 underage compliance check and imposed a monetary penalty and training requirement.

The facts read into the record said a confidential informant entered the store at about 6:30 p.m., selected a 12‑pack of beer and presented a vertical Maryland driver's license showing he was 19. One employee initially refused the sale; another employee, identified in the transcript as "Miss Hall," then offered to purchase the alcohol for the informant and completed the transaction, providing the beer to the underage buyer.

Licensee counsel and the owner acknowledged the incident and asked for leniency, noting the license had been held for seven years without prior underage‑sale violations. "I was not there. The manager was not there... I just cannot say, undoubtedly, that it that that is... I just can't say that," owner Scott (Boatman) told the board while acknowledging responsibility as the licensee.

After discussion the board voted to impose a $1,000 fine with $500 suspended for three years provided no further violations occur, with the fine payable within 10 days or the license suspended. The motion also required attendance at RAS training. The board noted that the statutes governing sale or furnishing to minors cover both direct sales and transactions where an intermediary purchases alcohol for a minor, and that licensees bear responsibility for employees' actions.

The board recorded the 30‑day appeal right to the Circuit Court of St. Mary's County. The RAS training referred to in the motion is administered through the county and coordinating arrangements are to be made with board staff.