Unbeknownst to the buyers, the two girls were working with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in a Reverse Shoulder Tap operation in conjunction with the Loudoun County Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which resulted in 22 arrests in six hours on Dec. 4.
This operation was part of a two-fold crackdown on alcohol sales in the county over the past two years, said Kraig Troxell, spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. In the other cases, the Sheriff’s Office sends underage people directly into the liquor stores to try to buy the alcohol themselves. In about half of these cases, the underage people showed their legitimate Virginia drivers’ licenses—not fake Ids—to the sales clerks, who were either not paying attention, did not care or miscalculated the customers’ ages, Troxell said.
Some of the minors the sheriff’s office uses in these operations are young people with an interest in law enforcement, Troxell said. In Loudoun County, deputies must be at least 21 years old. The sheriff’s office also has a program for those under 18, but for people between 18 and 21 years old, this is a good way they can get involved and make connections with the law enforcement authorities, he said.
This particular sting led to arrests on further charges: one subject was arrested for illegally carrying a firearm, two were charged with possession of cocaine, one person was charged with possession of marijuana, three were charged with being in possession of prescription medication, one possession of paraphernalia, one drunk in public and one driving without a license.
Troxell was not positive what is going to happen to the other people arrested for attempting to buy alcohol for minors, but thought that they would be issued a summons and likely a fine.
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