Alexandria Beer Board Fines Store Owner for Illegal Sale of Alcohol

The Alexandria Beer Board Tuesday night imposed a $500 fine against the owner of a business there for the illegal sale of alcohol to a minor under 21 years of age.
Both the owner of the business, the Alexandria Discount Beer and Tobacco store on Nashville Highway and the clerk who actually made the sale, 25 year old Langed Bassem Nabil Samir appeared before the beer board. Samir was cited by the Alexandria Police Department after he illegally sold beer to an underage operative during an undercover investigation on September 22.
Samir admitted to making the illegal sale of beer but claims he made a mistake in reading the birth date on the identification presented to him by the customer (undercover operative) who is 20 years old.
Alexandria Police Chief Mark Collins said while he believes the store clerk may have made an honest mistake, the illegal sale of beer was made from the store. The same underage operative tried to buy beer at other stores in Alexandria on the same day but he was turned away.
After imposing the fine against the store owner, the Alexandria Beer Board voted to recommend to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen that a policy be adopted to impose a $500 fine on all future first offenders; a $2,500 fine and a seven day minimum suspension of the beer license for a second offense; and a permanent revocation for a third offense. The aldermen adopted the policy during their regular monthly meeting Tuesday night.
The undercover investigation was conducted jointly by the Alexandria Police Department, Smithville Police Department, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department using the same underage operative.
In addition to Samir, 32 year old Jennifer Sims of McMinnville, an employee of the Discount Tobacco Store on West Broad Street, Smithville; 56 year old Allison Ferguson of Smithville, an employee of Mapco Express on East Broad Street, Smithville; and 42 year old Areceli Soto Godinez of Smithville, owner of Nicole’s Market on Short Mountain Highway, were each cited for the illegal sale of alcohol to a minor under 21 years of age.
All four defendants will appear in General Sessions Court on October 29.