Bushwick Bodega Cluster Caught Selling Booze To Minors

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — A small cluster of Myrtle Avenue bodegas was caught selling alcohol to minors in a statewide sting on underage drinking, officials said.

Underage decoys were able to buy booze at three bodegas near Heissen Square on Myrtle and Knickerbocker avenues, according to a list Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office released Wednesday.

Yasmin Grocery at 1436 Myrtle Ave., Lucky 1 Smoke Shop at 1439 Myrtle Ave. and Bushwick Gourmet Deli at 1449 Myrtle Ave. were among 45 New York City businesses caught selling alcohol to minors, the report found.

"Underage drinking and fake IDs are not only illegal but can lead to reckless decisions with lifelong consequences," Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement.

"We will continue to take action to hold businesses accountable for illegal sales as well as those who use fake IDs."

The State Liquor Authority's underage agents were able to purchase alcohol at 8 Brooklyn businesses, 20 Queens businesses, 10 Manhattan businesses, 4 Bronx businesses and 3 in Staten Island.

Businesses charged with violations for selling to minors can face fines as high as $10,000 and repeat offenders can possibly have their liquor licenses suspended or revoked, Cuomo's office said.

The cluster is about five blocks away from the epicenter of the K2 epidemic, where officials found a cluster of bodegas on Myrtle Avenue and Broadway sold the dangerous drug and launched a mass overdose in 2016.

See the full list of businesses that sold alcohol to minors here. Merchants who refused to sell to underage buyers can be found here.

Patch editor Noah Manskar contributed to this report.