Eagle Claw Liquor, 4321 Highway 160, was ordered by the Montezuma County Commissioners Monday to shut its doors for 15 days after selling alcohol to an underage, undercover agent. The order is effective immediately.

Owner Charles Schroeder sold a six-pack of Coors Light to an undercover officer April 7 and was charged with distributing liquor to a minor by the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, according to the testimony of Montezuma County Sheriff’s Deputy Dennis Spruell. This is the second time in two years that Schroeder has violated the liquor law, according to Betty Davis, a Montezuma County clerk. He received a one-day suspension previously for the same offense in April 1998.

Schroeder admitted to the commissioners under oath that he had, by mistake, sold the beer to the minor, and explained that he did check the young undercover agent’s identification but failed to determine the correct age.

The commission has the authority to suspend or revoke liquor licenses of those proprieties who violate liquor laws in the county. They chose to suspend Schroeder’s license, stating he had violated liquor laws, but chose the lesser of the two consequences because the drive-up liquor store had complied with stipulations set by the commission during the previous violation. In that incident, a minor presented a false identification to the clerk.

Schroeder told the commission that that clerk was later found innocent in court. Since then, Eagle Claw Liquor changed its business policy and began to photocopy ID cards from customers that showed proof of legal age, but who appeared young, in order to protect themselves in court.