Ten of the 11 restaurants in this ski town that serve liquor have been cited for selling alcohol to minors.

The Brian Head town marshal's office performed a sting operation using 18- and 20-year-old decoys, who entered the 11 establishments and ordered drinks.Town Manager Judy Gubler said 10 of the establishments served the decoys without asking for identification. She said the cases have been sent to 5th District Court in Cedar City.

A first conviction can yield up to $2,000 in fines and liquor license suspension for up to a week.

Gubler said she doesn't think Brian Head has more of an alcohol-sales problem than other towns and cities. She said the town marshal's office conducted the sting to "crack down on what we see as a potential problem."

Gubler initially would not name the establishments that were cited. However, after The Daily Spectrum of St. George pressed for the information, officials promised to release the names.

Brian Head Mayor Steve Griffin was pleased with the sting.

"We are adamant in our support of liquor law enforcement," Griffin said. "The image of Brian Head as a free-for-all town is not true. As mayor and as a business owner, along with other business owners, we will do our best to give Brian Head a safe and law-abiding reputation."

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Iron County Attorney Scott Burns said law enforcement agencies usually coordinate stings with him to make sure they are done correctly. While this sting was not coordinated with his office, he doesn't have a problem with it.

"Many times if my office ends up prosecuting the subjects, (the law enforcement agency) will contact me," he said. "They did not contact me."

Burns said his office usually sends letters to the establishments in the area warning them that they will be checked. First-time violators get a letter that they failed, he said.

"That first time is usually given as a freebie," Burns said. "Then we'll send a letter saying we're checking again."

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