Officers conduct raid, shut down liquor house
By Melody Brown-Peyton
Published in News on July 11, 2018 5:50 AM
For the second time in less than a year, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement of Wayne County has raided the same Goldsboro home for running an illegal liquor operation.
On July 6 at 7 p.m., ALE, Goldsboro police and Wayne County sheriff deputies conducted a raid for illegal sale of liquor at a home located at 729 Isler St. in Goldsboro.
Alcohol Law Enforcement charged 77-year-old Johnny J. Thomas Jr. with two counts of possessing and selling alcoholic beverages with no permit, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and driving while license revoked.
Three firearms and several coolers containing beer and liquor were seized during the raid.
"These illegal establishments are a crime problem in Goldsboro and in Wayne County," said Joseph Sadler, law enforcement chief of the Wayne County ABC Board.
"There were four homicides last year at these types of locations in Goldsboro," Sadler said. "This will be an ongoing operation, as long as these types of locations exist. When we get information either through social media or other types of complaints, we will act on that information and close these locations down one at a time."
Last month, a raid was conducted on KP Lounge at 169 Hack Drive in Dudley. During the raid, it was estimated that 55 to 60 people were at the illegal operation.
Kenneth Pride, who was operating the lounge, was charged with possession with intent to sell alcohol with no permit. Authorities seized four handguns, drugs and several bottles of alcohol during the raid.
The Isler Street address was also the site of a law enforcement raid in December that included a second raid, during the same joint-law enforcement operation, at 909 Seaboard St.
When officers arrived at the Isler Street address, nine people were found smoking marijuana inside the home. The alleged operator of the shot house was arrested and charged, and one person was cited for drug possession.