7 accused of selling alcohol to underage drinkers

A recent sweep of 27 Eden Prairie establishments that serve liquor resulted in seven illegal sales to an underage customer, according to the Eden Prairie Police Department. There are 52 businesses licensed to sell alcohol in Eden Prairie.

The cases are still open in the court system, but two arrests were reported as a result of the June 18 visits, according to police Sgt. Scott Mittelstadt.

A 24-year-old Eden Prairie woman is accused of making an illegal sale at Godavari Indian Restaurant, 566 Prairie Center Drive.

Less than two hours later, a 46-year-old Columbia Heights man was arrested at Hilton Garden Inn, 6330 Point Chase Road, and accused of making an illegal sale.

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Other businesses where arrests were made June 18 are:

• Peoples Organic, 990 Prairie Center Drive
• Tavern 4&5, 16396 Wagner Way
• Speedway, 16425 W. 78th St.
• Life Time Athletic, 755 Prairie Center Drive
• Mi Pueblo, 7942 Mitchell Road, No. 104

The seven incidents compare to three in 2022 and two in 2023.

Eden Prairie police conduct random checks in an effort to ensure establishments and their employees follow the law, Mittelstadt said. “But it is ultimately the responsibility of the establishment to ensure their employees are complying,” he said. “Failure results in both punitive damages for the establishment and criminal charges for the person who made the sale.”

Furnishing liquor to a person under the age of 21 is a gross misdemeanor under Minnesota law, according to Mittelstadt.

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“We do our liquor compliance checks annually with buyers who are between 18-20 years old,” Mittelstadt said. “And they use their own state-issued driver’s license when they attempt to purchase liquor.”

Mittelstadt said the Minnesota Department of Public Safety began issuing driver’s licenses in two formats in 2018 to combat underage liquor and alcohol sales. Drivers under 21 have licenses that are vertically oriented, while drivers over 21 have the traditional horizontal orientation version.

Minnesota law prohibits serving alcohol to anyone under 21. It is also illegal for someone to lend their ID to someone under 21 for the purpose of purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol.

Valid IDs include a driver’s license or identification issued by a U.S. state or Canada that includes the person’s photograph and date of birth, a valid military ID, a valid U.S. or foreign passport, a Minnesota Tribal ID card or a valid instructional permit with a photo and date of birth.

It also is illegal for anyone under 21 to enter a business that serves or sells alcohol with the intent to make a purchase. People ages 18 to 20 may enter such a business to work, eat, or attend social functions where liquor is not sold.