Bootlegger, 85, tried to make 'honest living'
Last Updated: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 | 8:26 AM AT
CBC News
An 85-year-old man has been found guilty of bootlegging and fined $10,000, after making no apologies to the court for selling alcohol out of his Charlottetown home.
Alexander (Slick) Rhynes made no apologies for being a bootlegger, telling court he's been selling liquor out of his house since he was nine and isn't hurting anyone. (CBC) Alexander (Slick) Rhynes told provincial court on Monday that he was "just trying to make an honest living." He was found guilty of possession of liquor for sale and selling liquor.
Rhynes told the court he's been selling liquor out of his house since he was nine and he's not hurting anyone.
He also said he buys liquor and beer from the liquor store and pays taxes on it, and that he also pays taxes on the income he makes.
Police raided his house in April and seized 60 cases of beer and 79 pints of liquor, worth just over $3,000. The raid came a day after an undercover police officer bought a case of beer from Rhynes.
Rhynes admitted to selling the beer and argued he should be allowed to, since he bought it legally.
"If I go and buy a bottle of pop, I can sell it. If you buy something, you can sell it to me if you want to," Rhynes told CBC News outside the courtroom.
Judge Nancy Orr said Rhynes was clearly breaking the law.
She fined him the minimum, $10,000, and also declared his house a dry zone for the next year.
That means no one there, neither Rhynes nor his relatives, can have or drink any alcoholic beverages in the house. If they do, they'll be charged.
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