Best Liquors still operating ... for now
Customer recants testimony; boro drops charges
BY MELISSA KARSH
Staff Writer

RED BANK - - The borough's efforts to close down Best Liquors on Leighton Avenue continued to evolve last week as a hearing date before the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) was canceled.

In the latest development, the borough dropped its effort to have the state lift a stay on the revocation of the store's license.

In a July 19 letter, Assistant Borough Attorney Thomas J. Hall said the borough was withdrawing a motion asking the ABC to lift the stay.

The stay was in place because Best Liquors' attorney appealed the borough's June 28 decision to revoke the west side liquor store's retail plenary license to the ABC.

The borough also dropped the latest charge of selling alcohol to a minor against Best Liquors after Javier Lopez-Ruiz, 19, who bought alcoholic beverages on the evening of July 10, recanted his sworn statement and admitted he showed the clerk false identification, according to Hall.

"Mr. Lopez-Ruiz told me and the police department that he had displayed a false green card to the licensee while purchasing that beer," Hall wrote in a letter to Jose Rodriguez, the deputy attorney general.

According to Hall, the municipal prosecutor will decide whether charges will stand against Balvinder Singh, who was working at the west side store on the evening of July 10.

According to a press release, the borough also canceled a July 26 special meeting on the latest charge against Best Liquors, which is owned by Pankaj Sharma.

In a special hearing June 28, the Borough Council found Best Liquors liable on six charges, four of which included sale of alcohol to underage persons.

The other charges include possession of a quantity of cigarettes without the required New Jersey Revenue Stamp and employing a person to sell alcohol at the store "who was not a registered employee authorized to sell alcoholic beverages," according to Hall.

Sharma is represented by Samuel Reale Jr., a member of the Willingboro law firm Kearns, Vassallo & Kearns. He said Monday there is no date set for a future hearing and the appeal is still pending.

"The borough's action, it speaks for itself," said Reale last week.