Following an undercover investigation into allegations of illegal sales of liquor, agents of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission last Thursday, March 15 raided the VFW club on the Sparta Highway seizing gambling machines, a raffle prize, and cash.
Special Agent Brad Allison, in a telephone interview with WJLE, said bartender Brian Soye has been cited for unlawful sale of alcohol and quartermaster Thomas Skelenka was issued citations for storage of alcohol for sale and possession of gambling devices. All are misdemeanor offenses.
Operators of the VFW allegedly kept selling liquor, even after letting their liquor license expire.
Agent Allison said the investigation began after complaints surfaced about the VFW. “The Alcoholic Beverage Commission received an anonymous complaint about the VFW in Smithville selling liquor without a license. The complaint was given to the ABC Cookeville Office who researched to see if the VFW currently had a liquor license and they did not. At that time they executed an undercover operation at the establishment and were able to purchase liquor from the bartender inside the VFW. After purchasing the liquor, they then prepared and executed a search warrant on Thursday, March 15. At that time during the search warrant, there were approximately fifty bottles of liquor that were seized; four gambling machines; several envelopes with various amounts of money in the envelopes with some labeled “race boards”, some labeled “dice”. There was a TV seized that was in a box labeled “raffle” with the amount of the price for the raffle tickets written on the box,” said Allison
As a result of the investigation, the VFW also had to surrender its beer license, pending a hearing before the DeKalb County Beer Board.
Archived News & Obituaries