Prohibition (of alcohol) alive and well in the rural US
A 70-year-old Fairbanks pilot faces a potential $1 million fine and jail time after being found guilty of ignoring 7 gallons of beer carried in his Cessna 206 on a trip to a ‘dry’ rural community.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A 70-year-old Fairbanks pilot faces a potential $1 million fine and jail time after he was convicted of turning a blind eye to 7 gallons of beer carried in his Cessna 206 on a trip to a “dry” community in northwestern Alaska.
A six-member jury returned the guilty verdict Friday against both Ken Jouppi and his business, KenAir, for misdemeanor alcohol importation, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported.
Prosecutors said during the trial that Jouppi’s actions amount to willful ignorance of the community alcohol ban. Some of the beer was in a bag.
During two days of testimony, the six jurors heard testimony from Alaska state troopers, Jouppi and Helen Nicholai, 52, a KenAir client who was carrying cans of Budweiser and Bud Light, about 7 gallons in all, to the community of Beaver, where alcohol is illegal.
Nicholai previously pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor alcohol charge and was given a three-day sentence.
“Dry” or “damp” villages are communities that have passed laws banning or restricting the sale of alcohol, and where a 750-milliliter bottle can fetch up to $250.
The company faces a fine of between $200,000 and $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for October.
Continued...
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A 70-year-old Fairbanks pilot faces a potential $1 million fine and jail time after he was convicted of turning a blind eye to 7 gallons of beer carried in his Cessna 206 on a trip to a “dry” community in northwestern Alaska.
A six-member jury returned the guilty verdict Friday against both Ken Jouppi and his business, KenAir, for misdemeanor alcohol importation, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported.
Prosecutors said during the trial that Jouppi’s actions amount to willful ignorance of the community alcohol ban. Some of the beer was in a bag.
During two days of testimony, the six jurors heard testimony from Alaska state troopers, Jouppi and Helen Nicholai, 52, a KenAir client who was carrying cans of Budweiser and Bud Light, about 7 gallons in all, to the community of Beaver, where alcohol is illegal.
Nicholai previously pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor alcohol charge and was given a three-day sentence.
“Dry” or “damp” villages are communities that have passed laws banning or restricting the sale of alcohol, and where a 750-milliliter bottle can fetch up to $250.
The company faces a fine of between $200,000 and $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for October.
Continued...
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