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Undercover Providence Police Take Down Illegal Late Night 'Sip Joint'

John Eagan

This is an inventory you'd expect to find in a liquor store:

28 - 12 packs of Heineken beer
30 - 12 packs of Corona
57 - bottles of Hennessey cognac
113 - jigs of Bacardi Rum

Instead Providence Police say all this alcohol, and a whole lot more, was stashed on shelves inside a Burnside home in South Providence.  These types of places are commonly referred to as 'Sip Joints'.

It wouldn't be illegal if the person inside wasn't reselling it without a license, but police say that is what is happening way past closing hours.

The people living nearby claim they never see anyone pulling up to the house and ordering drinks, but detectives say they've eyed the place for a while and have witnessed person after person pull up at all hours of the night, climb the stairs, knock on the top window and place their order.

Then on Saturday, they sent an undercover cop to make a buy.  They say the detective paid $20, and in turn got bottle of cognac in a brown paper bag.

So detectives raided the house and found 39-year old Richard Cruz tending bar.  There were surveillance cameras inside monitoring customers, along with nightclub lighting and stereo speakers.
 
ABC 6 reporter Kimberly Bookman has the story...

Friday, Aug 15 at 11:25 AM Anonymous wrote ...

liqour stores are open during school hours anyways, so that isnt something that can be used against them

Thursday, Aug 14 at 11:30 AM Lucy - -Providence wrote ...

As someone familiar with this house, the whole neighborhood is aware of what goes on there, even the guy interviewed (he lives there) and the house is known as the "bootlegger's house". No one is shocked, it is not the first time this house has been raided. How long before business picks up again, this house is 1/2 block from an elementary school. This house is open all times of the day, don't kid yourself. Raids and robberies have not hurt business. What is going to be done to keep them closed?

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