Sting nabs stores selling booze to minors

Businesses that sell liquor in McHenry County should be getting the picture by now: letting minors buy booze doesn't go over well with their sheriff.

Twelve businesses and their employees have learned that lesson the hard way over the last two months; they got nailed for selling to underage buyers during three sting operations run by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department, with an assist from the Illinois State Police.

"We want to put the word out there to businesses that selling alcohol to minors is a serious thing," sheriff's Sgt. Michael Cisner said. "And we want them to be aware that we're watching."

Here's how the stings work: Sheriff's investigators escort underage volunteers to liquor establishments throughout the county. The volunteers enter the businesses and try to buy alcohol without showing identification.

If they fail, the business and its clerk get a pat on the back from the sheriff's department for doing the right thing.

But if they succeed, the clerk gets hit with a charge of unlawful sale of alcohol to a minor -- a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine -- and the business could face sanctions ranging from suspension of its license to sell alcohol, to complete revocation of it from the McHenry County Liquor Commission.

During the first operation, conducted Dec. 13, minors succeeded in buying alcohol without identification at six of 17 businesses checked.

The second sting, two weeks after the first, saw minors purchase liquor at five of 17 establishments. One of those five was not only among the six busted during the first sting, but manned by the same clerk. Some people never learn.

In the latest set of checks, which took place Jan. 31, minors "succeeded" at only two of 10 establishments, giving sheriff's police hope their operations are having the desired results.

"This is our third detail, so maybe the word is getting out there," Cisner said. "Maybe our efforts are paying off."

Shooting victim on trial: It's not every day a shooting victim winds up in court facing felony charges while his shooter goes unpunished.

But that's what is scheduled to happen later this week when Patrick Gaughan, a 19-year-old Marengo resident, goes on trial for burglary, obstructing justice and criminal trespassing, stemming from the Dec. 3, 2006 incident that left him with bullet wounds to the hip, shoulder and hand.

Authorities say Gaughan and a friend were rummaging through a vehicle parked in front of the Marengo-area home of Jerry Sweat at about 4 a.m. that day when the homeowner heard them, grabbed his rifle and came out firing.

Gaughan denies he was trying to burglarize the vehicle, saying that he and a friend merely were walking past the home on their way to visit a friend when Sweat opened fire.

McHenry County prosecutors initially charged Sweat with aggravated battery with a firearm and reckless discharge of a firearm, but dismissed the case in March because Gaughan wouldn't waive his Fifth Amendment rights in order to testify against his shooter.