Fines, suspensions for St. Charles taverns in underage sting

Repeat offenders received increasingly heavy penalties in the latest round of liquor license compliance checks at St. Charles' taverns. Four businesses served underage customers in a coordinated police sting, according to city officials.

Scotland Yard tavern on the 300 block of West Main Street received a seven-day suspension for its fourth liquor license violation. The tavern must also pay $558 in legal costs. The tavern was suspended and/or fined three previous times for incidents involving after-hour occupancy and service to minors.

The House Pub on the 0-100 block of South First Avenue also had its liquor license suspended. The pub's suspension is three days and a legal fee fine of $486 dollars. The suspension follows the pub's third liquor license violation. Previous violations involved over-service of alcohol and after-hours violations.

Two other establishments, Pub 222 on the 200 block of West Main Street, and Real Time Sports on the 500 block of South Randall Road, received fines and were assessed legal costs for serving underage customers in the police sting.

Mayor Don DeWitte said the penalties will increase in severity every time a business is caught violating the liquor license code.

"These establishments will be subject to increasing levels of fines, suspensions and revocation, if necessary, should they continue to have difficulty complying," DeWitte said in a written statement.