Two Lakeland Store Clerks Arrested in PCSO's Undercover Operation Targeting Underage Alcohol Sales

iSkyNews and Media July 21, 2025

Two Lakeland Store Clerks Arrested in PCSO's Undercover Operation Targeting Underage Alcohol Sales

Staff Reporter | iSkyNews.com (ISC News)

Published July 21st, 2025

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Polk County, FL Two convenience store employees were arrested last Thursday as part of an undercover effort by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) to prevent illegal alcohol sales to minors.

The operation, known as Operation Pop-Top, deploys undercover resources to monitor retail compliance with Florida law prohibiting alcohol sales to anyone under the age of 21.

🕵️‍♂️ The Sting Setup On July 17, deputies teamed up with an 18-year-old high school student, a member of the PCSO’s Cadet 1000 youth program, who attempted to purchase alcohol at eight stores across Lakeland.

Two stores failed the compliance test:

Wawa at 4320 Hwy 98 North
Circle K at 3100 North Galloway Road

Clerks at both locations sold alcoholic beverages to the student without checking ID.

🚓 The Arrests The individuals arrested are:

April Joplin, 56, of Lakeland
Clara Leyva, 70, of Lakeland

Both were charged with selling alcohol to a person under 21, a misdemeanor offense under Florida law.

📣 Sheriff Grady Judd issued a statement emphasizing the importance of these checks:

“This operation is about protecting our kids. We do these checks all over the county and we will continue to do them often in order to promote safe and law-abiding retail practices.”

🧃 Operation Pop-Top Goes Beyond Alcohol In addition to monitoring alcohol sales, the campaign also targets illegal sales of tobacco and Kratom to underage individuals.

Further operations are expected throughout Polk County as PCSO ramps up compliance efforts.

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Florida News