COMMENTARY-- Four Coynes Liquor Hearing

What follows below is a copy of the decision that I took after the Liquor hearing on the Four Coynes matter last week. Mr Coynes stipulated (ie agreed with them) to the charges at the hearing, and basically asked me be lenient because of numerous family issues. I wrestled briefly with some form of mitigation but ultimately I did not feel that Mr. Coynes had been open and candid with me. Mr. Coynes was notified by fax and in writing as to my decision on Monday.

The level of professionalism by agencies involved in this, was and is impressive, Lake County MEG, all the Round Lake Area Police Departments, McHenry Police, the Lake County States Attorney, and the Round Lake Police Department were all involved and had buy in. The undercover work, two simultaneous raids, booking officers, evidence technicians, and of course the officers involved in raid exhibited a high level of sophistication and professionalism that we can all be proud of.

Here's the commentary portion of this post: We are serious about enforcing the liquor ordinances in Round Lake, if you have a license, obey the law! I have heard that one non gambling machine has been removed from a local bar already so the climate is improving. I take my job as Liquor commissioner seriously, not every decision is going to be popular, but we do need decisions to be made, and sometimes they are hard and affect peoples lives.

What follows below is the actual text of the order I wrote and had made into a legal document and then signed earlier this week.

This matter having come on to be heard upon a Citation and Notice of Hearing directing Licensee, FOUR COYNES, INC., to appear before the Local Liquor Control Commission of the Village of Round Lake, Lake County, Illinois, on an allegation of conducting illegal gambling activities upon the licensed premises at 302 Nippersink Road, Round Lake, Illinois on January 24, 2007 and upon hearing the Liquor Commissioner finding by offer of proof by the prosecution and stipulation of the Licensee that the Licensee by and through its officer and agent, SCOTT E. COYNE, did conduct illegal gambling activities as alleged and pursuant to that offer of proof and stipulation, the Liquor Commissioner further finds:

• That Licensee intentionally and knowingly disregarded the liquor ordinances in the Village of Round Lake and the State of Illinois for one and a half years with regard to the active promotion and conduct of poker games and four to five years in the matter of the slot machines, culminating in the gambling activities of the same nature on January 24, 2007.
  

That as to matters presented in mitigation, the Liquor Commissioner finds that such contentions are rendered not fully credible and off-set by the following:

• Roughly six weeks ago there was an underage drinking violation at the licensed premises, which Licensee at that liquor hearing three weeks ago, promised the Liquor Commissioner would never be repeated again, but at the time of the arrest, on January 24, 2007, there was a minor female drinking and gambling at the licensed establishment.
  
• The police report on January 3, 2007 has Licensee telling the undercover officers that if “someone walked in” no money was to be visible on the table and that the cover story was the game was for a $100 prize to be given away to the weekly poker winner and that there was no actual gambling taking place”. Licensee also added that he “had 2 run in’s with police in the last few days and the state police had performed a alcohol compliance check and that Licensee received a $150 fine and what amounted to a written warning for serving the decoy”.
  
• After the liquor hearing on January 3 2007 in front of this very same Commission for the first offense, Licensee learned nothing from the warning reprimand issued by the Liquor Commissioner other than to attempt hiding illegal activities more deeply.
  
• The explanation offered for $16,000 of the approximately $34,000 cash that was hidden as “holding it” from Licensee’s parents divorce is found to be ludicrous and does not make sense.
  
• Licensee was not sober when arrested.
  
• The drug paraphernalia and unregistered guns found in the raid on Licensee’s house, does not jibe with Licensee’s being the earnest family man portrayed at the hearing on February 7, 2007.
  

The Liquor Commissioner further finds that the foregoing together with the following specific factors compel the revocation of the subject Liquor License in this case:

• The long term nature of the violations (over four to five years for the slot machines and over one year for the card gambling); and
  
• The fact that 22 days after being warned quite severely by this Liquor Commissioner for minors drinking in the bar, Licensee had a minor female in the bar served alcohol and allowed to gamble.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED THAT SUCH LIQUOR LICENSE BE AND IS HEREBY REVOKED EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
William Gentes, Local Liquor Control Commissioner Village of Round Lake, Lake County, Illinois