On December 29, 2024, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol Enforcement Unit conducted a succession of tobacco compliance checks.
The covert compliance checks involved using an underage Sheriff’s Office confidential informant (CI) who was 19 years old and wore jean pants and a long-sleeved shirt. The CI was directed to enter the store, retrieve a tobacco product, and try to purchase said product.
During the compliance checks, either Sergeant Robert Merritt or Corporal Chad Hartzell accompanied the CI; both wore civilian attire and observed all underage tobacco transactions.
The Sheriff’s Office visited 19 businesses, and 16 businesses passed the compliance check by asking the CI for proof of age.
The three businesses that did not pass the compliance check and failed to ask for any identification, allowing tobacco product sales to an underage person:
- Lex Wine & Spirits: 46400 Lexington Village Way, Lexington Park
- Tobacco Hut And Vape: 44920 Saint Andrews Church Road, California
- King Smoke: 22741 Three Notch Rd, Unit #4, California
The businesses that passed compliance checks were:
- ABC Liquors: 22741 Three Notch Road, California
- Bradfords Neighborhood Market LLC: 23860 Hollywood Road, Hollywood
- California Wine & Spirits: 23123 Camden Way, California
- Early Bird: 23791 Mervell Dean Road, Hollywood
- Jughead Liquor Wine Beer: 16036 Three Notch Road, California
- Sign Of The Whale Liquors: 21899 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- Twist Wine & Spirits: 22608 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- Wildewood Wine & Spirits: 23415 Three Notch Road, California
- Wawa: 23141 Three Notch Road, California
- Donut Connection: 22807 Three Notch Road, California
- Cloud Smoke Shop: 22811 Three Notch Road, California
- Sheetz: 22711 Three Notch Road, California
- 7-Eleven: 22606 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- TJ Liquors: 22576 MacArthur Boulevard, California
- Wawa: 22530 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- Peggs Road Shell: 22530 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
