Hanover Selectmen suspended the liquor license of the Tedeschi’s on Columbia Road for three days, with two to serve, after the store sold alcohol to three underage teens using a fake out-of-state ID, according to Wicked Local Hanover.
A Hanover police officer saw the three underage men from afar drinking beer in the parking lot of the Tedeschi’s on July 3 at 9:55 p.m. before getting into a car to drive away, according to Hanover Police Chief Walter Sweeney. The officer stopped the car, scanned the ID, which proved it fake, and found a 30-pack of Coors Light and the remainder of the case of beer they had opened in the parking lot.
When the officer brought the ID back to the store, the Tedeschi’s employee told the officer he had checked it, but did not follow company protocol and ask for a second form of ID, despite having a “funny feeling,” Sweeney said.
Tedeschi’s Division Manager Glenn Scandlen said the employee was suspended without pay, but was not fired. Richard Isabelle, store manager, added that all employees of the store complete an extended alcohol training session of about an hour and a half.
The Board of Selectmen originally wanted to penalize the store by suspending its license for five days, with three to serve, but reduced the penalty due to the efforts by the company to prevent another violation.
“Obviously, in Hanover, we take it very seriously–the liquor licenses we give out and the violations,” selectmen Chairman Brian Barthelmes said. “We appreciate you coming in. We appreciate that you’ve taken corrective action, but I do still feel that a suspension of the license, or a penalty, for a number of days is warranted.”
