Morristown Minor Charged With Alcohol Possession in Morris Plains

A Morristown woman was arrested and charged with underage possession of alcohol on Feb. 25 after she allegedly accepted a bag containing alcoholic beverages from two men who had just exited a liquor store, then drove away with it.

Police report that, on Friday evening, just before 9:00 p.m., Ptl. Jeff Hochman of the was monitoring the for signs of liquor violations. He saw two men exit the store, go to a waiting car and transfer a bag into it. The car then drove away. 

According to Detective Sgt. Edward Dobbins of the Morris Plains Police Department, the car was stopped on Speedwell Avenue. Rajia Moore, 20, of Morristown, was found to be in possession of alcohol. She was released pending a first appearance court date.

According to Jim Rilee, district manager for the Bottle King chain, store management was not even aware the incident had occurred until they were contacted by Patch. He said that the monitoring of liquor stores, both inside and out, is a common occurrence in the effort to curb underage drinking. In some towns, Rilee said the practice is conducted under a program called Cops in Shops, which places officers in retail liquor locations as deterrents.