Officials Seek to Revoke Scarlet Pub Liquor License

State officials seek to revoke the liquor license of a popular Easton Avenue bar in the wake of a a large underage drinking bust.

State Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa announced Thursday that the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has notified the Scarlet Pub of an intent to pursue a revocation of the bar's liquor license.

In July 2011, acting on a tip that the bar, located at 131 Easton Ave., was "crowded with underage drinkers," officials conducted a raid, resulting in 26 people being arrested, according to the attorney general's office.

26 people were arrested, including 23 patrons between the ages of 17 to 20 and three bar staffers.

Charges from the arrests included 22 charges of underage drinking, with four patrons also charged with presenting fake ID's, and one other patron charged only with presenting a fake ID.

One additional patron was also charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Two bartenders were charged with allegedly selling alcohol to underage patrons and aiding and a bouncer was charges with abetting the serving of alcohol to underage patrons.

According to the attorney general's office, the bar was notified on Oct. 21 of the ABC's intent to revoke the license.

Four days later, ABC officials visited the bar and again arrested bartender Thomas Holman, 28, of Somerset and bartender Kelsey Lynch of East Brunswick on charges of serving alcohol to underage patrons.

One underage patron was also arrested, according to officials.

Holman was one of the two bartenders arrested in the July 2011 incident.

“Licensees face serious consequences when they choose to serve alcohol to underage drinkers,” said Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Director Michael Halfacre, in a prepared statement. “The most serious punishment the ABC can level is revocation, and we reserve that consequence for the most extreme violators.”