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TRENTON - Division of Alcoholic
Beverage Control Director Jerry Fischer
announced that 26 people, including three
bar employees and 23 underage patrons, were
arrested early today at a bar in New Brunswick
as a result of ABC’s College Initiative
underage drinking enforcement program.
According to Director Fischer,
investigators from the Division of Alcoholic
Beverage Control and detectives from the
Division of Criminal Justice assigned to
ABC, assisted by officers of the New Brunswick
Police Department, made the arrests shortly
after midnight at Scarlet Pub at 131 Easton
Avenue in New Brunswick. They arrested two
bartenders, Marc J. Ng, 19, of Marlboro,
N.J., and Thomas H. Holman, 27, of Somerset,
N.J., for allegedly selling alcohol to underage
patrons. The investigators also arrested
a bouncer, Carl William Buchholz, 19, of
Malvern, Pa., on a charge of aiding and
abetting persons under the legal age to
consume alcohol.
Twenty-two patrons were
charged with underage drinking, including
four who were also charged with presenting
a fake identification card. One additional
patron was charged strictly with presenting
a fake identification. One arrested patron
was also charged with possession of a small
amount of marijuana. All 23 patrons are
from New Jersey. One is 17, and the rest
are between 18 and 20 years old. Scarlet
Pub is located near the Rutgers University
campus. The arrests were made after ABC
investigators received a tip that the bar
was crowded with underage drinkers.
“Those under the age
of 21 need to know that if they break the
law by drinking alcohol, they could face
serious consequences,” said Director
Fischer. “We are partnering with local
and county law enforcement agencies to prevent
underage drinking, which endangers the young
people involved as well as the public at
large.”
Director Fischer noted that
the arrests are part of the Division’s
ongoing efforts to combat underage drinking
in an around college communities throughout
New Jersey. Scarlet Pub’s liquor license
will be reviewed by ABC for possible administrative
charges. Those charges could result in the
suspension of the bar’s alcoholic
beverage license. The charge of selling
alcohol to underage patrons is a disorderly
persons offense which carries penalties
including a fine of at least $500. Underage
drinking is also a disorderly persons offense,
carrying a potential fine of at least $500
and a six-month driver’s license suspension.
ABC has established a toll-free
hotline 1-866-713-8392
for citizens to report illegal activity
to ABC’s Investigative Unit. All information
received via the ABC hotline will remain
confidential.
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