New York State Police say one of 20 businesses checked during an Oct. 30 underage alcohol-sales detail in Oneida County alcohol sales sold an alcoholic beverage to a 19-year-old operative.
Police identified the business as Community Express Market, 804 Floyd Ave. in Rome. The other 19 businesses passed the compliance checks, according to the agency’s Nov. 2, 2026, news release.
Employee charged; court appearance set
Police said Nevaeh A. Baez, 22, of Rome, an employee of the market, was arrested Oct. 30 and charged with first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child and selling alcohol to a person younger than 21. The release identifies both charges as Class A misdemeanors related to Oneida County alcohol sales.
Baez was issued an appearance ticket for Rome City Court at 9 a.m. Nov. 10, 2026, police said. The charges are allegations, and Baez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Businesses that passed the checks
State Police named the following 19 businesses as compliant. Addresses are as listed in the release:
- Circle K, 8709 Turin Road, Lee
- Delta Liquors, 8593 Turin Road, Rome
- Turin Road Mart, 8199 Turin Road, Rome
- Cliff’s, 7823 Rome-Westernville Road, Rome
- Northern Wine & Spirits, 1715 Black River Boulevard, Rome
- FasTrac, 1910 Black River Boulevard, Rome
- Black River Wine & Spirit, 835 Black River Boulevard, Rome
- Vic’s Smoke Shop & Beverage Center, 1373 Floyd Avenue, Rome
- Stewart’s, 1373 Floyd Avenue, Rome
- Sunoco, 1400 E. Dominic Street, Rome
- Mirabito, 268 E. Dominick Street, Rome
- Byrne Dairy, 216 Erie Boulevard E., Rome
- Kekis Citgo, 400 W. Dominick Street, Rome
- West Dominick Market, 418 W. Dominick Street, Rome
- JoJo’s Market, 601 W. Dominick Street, Rome
- FasTrac, 600 Erie Boulevard W., Rome
- Anticosti Beer & Beverage, 1124 Erie Boulevard W., Rome
- Cliff’s, 221 Erie Boulevard W., Rome
- Rome Liquor Warehouse, 5950 Rome-Taberg Road, Rome
How the compliance checks work
The initiative focuses on retailers licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. Plainclothes investigators work with underage operatives, who may not misrepresent their age or show false identification if asked, State Police said.
Businesses pass when they check identification and decline a sale when required. Police commended the compliant retailers and said similar details will continue throughout the region.
Source: New York State Police, Nov. 2, 2026. The agency’s release lists Vic’s Smoke Shop & Beverage Center and Stewart’s at the same address; the addresses above preserve the source listing.
Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration by OpenAI for the Utica Phoenix; not a photograph of the reported incident.
