The Stone Lounge on Main Street in the city of Cortland. (Photo provided by Timothy A. Bennett, Owner & Publisher of The Cortland Voice).
The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) voted for a penalty of cancellation of the Stone Lounge’s liquor license at a board meeting last Wednesday, according to an email from a SLA public information representative.
Camron Fuller, owner and operator of the Stone Lounge and Fuller’s Tavern of Cortland, Inc., and his attorney stood before the SLA commissioners last Wednesday for the “purpose of determining the penalty.”
Commissioners concluded that the Stone Lounge’s liquor license would be canceled.
According to the SLA, 90 individuals were inside the bar on Oct. 19 and only 13 were over 21-or-older. The 77 other individuals were cited for possession of a fake identification or for using someone else’s ID. The SLA obtained affidavits from 13 of the individuals admitting to consuming alcohol, seven of which were only 18 years old, with 12 stating they purchased from the bartender without showing ID.
On Oct. 24, the SLA charged The Stone Lounge owners with multiple violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, including selling alcoholic beverages to a person or persons under 21, failure to have trained, licensed security guards at the door in violation of their approved method of operation, failure to maintain adequate and accurate records of business transacted on the licensed premises, and failure to supervise.
The owners of The Stone Lounge responded to the Notice of Pleading (NOP) on Nov. 11, and the SLA rejected their offer on Nov. 14. An SLA representative noted that following the response to the notice of pleading, the owners were charged with 13 counts of sales to minors.
