The News Room [News Archive]
Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-224-0615
Release Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2004
Deputies make two key cases in effort to protect Wayne
County’s
children --- Deputies bust 1-in-3 liquor stores for selling
to a minor --- Internet sex predator and friend arrested for trying
to meet 14-year old
Wayne County Sheriff’s deputies this week made two significant
cases that will help keep the county safe for its children, Sheriff
Warren Evans announced today.
Illegal liquor sales to minors
In the first bust, which took place over the past two weeks, deputies
found that 35 percent of party stores they checked across several
western Wayne County suburbs sold alcohol to a 19-year old undercover
officer.
Evans said that the officer, who visited 37 stores in Canton,
Livonia, Inkster, Romulus, Southgate, Plymouth, Northville, Westland,
Wayne and Redford over the past two weeks, was able to purchase
a variety of beer and liquor at 13 of the locations without being
asked to produce proof of his age.
“These are not mere isolated incidents,” Evans said. “It
appears to be part of a chronic problem in Wayne County. Too many
party stores are putting our young people at risk and we intend
to hold them accountable.”
Late last year, the Sheriff’s Office busted 10 of 24
stores it visited during a check of stores in the downriver area.
Four of those establishments were ticketed because it was the owner
of the store who sold the alcohol, while others were issued a warning.
During the western Wayne sweep, however, officers cited every
store that sold.
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After the first operation, it became clear to us that this is a
widespread problem and that a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach
was necessary,” Evans said. “Any store in Wayne County
that is caught selling alcohol to a minor will be punished.”
Stores that are ticketed face up to a $500 fine and possible further
action from Michigan’s Liquor Control Commission.
Two-for-one Internet bust
Also this week, two Wayne State University engineering students
were arrested late Monday when they arrived to meet who they thought
was a 14-year old girl for sex.
Investigators say Sachin Rathi, 25, chatted with an undercover
sheriff’s deputy over two days and requested to meet the
officer at a location on the east side of Detroit. A friend and
fellow student, Sobhit Jain, 24, drove Rathi to the location, where
he, too, was arrested. The meet took place on Monday after only
two brief chats on Friday and early Monday. Both chats lasted approximately
one hour.
“This arrest is significant because it was not one person
acting alone, as it is in most occurrences,” Evans said. “We
believe the main suspect had informed his friend of his intent.”
Both suspects were arraigned this morning at 31st District Court
in Hamtramck.
·
Rathi was charged with two counts of illegal use of the Internet
and one count of conspiracy to commit criminal sexual conduct [CSC]
in the 3rd degree. He is being held at the Wayne County jail on
$300,000 bond [10%]
·
Jain was charged with one count of conspiracy. He is being held
on $250,000 bond [10%].
Although the Illegal use of the Internet charge and conspiracy
charge are 20 and 15 year felonies, respectively, neither may actually
go to prison.
“We have five similar cases of people here on work visas
convicted of this crime, and each has been deported,” Evans
said. “If these men are found guilty, then we certainly will
push for deportation in their case as well.
Both men are scheduled to have their preliminary examination on
Thursday, February 26th.
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