Circle K in Lakeland / Google Maps
Lakeland Circle K Clerk Arrested After Selling Alcohol to 18-Year-Old During Undercover Operation
By Staff Reporter iSkyNews.com (ISN) – Published February 6th, 2026
LAKELAND, FL — A Lakeland convenience store clerk was taken into custody Thursday following a Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) undercover sting aimed at curbing underage alcohol sales.
The arrest occurred during the latest round of "Operation Pop Top," an ongoing initiative where deputies visit local retailers to ensure they are strictly adhering to state laws regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages. On Thursday, February 5, deputies were assisted by an 18-year-old member of the PCSO Cadet Unit 1000, who acted as the underage buyer.
According to investigators, 22-year-old Maria Juan, an employee at the Circle K located at 2385 Griffin Road, sold an alcoholic beverage to the teen cadet without a proper age verification check.
Ms. Juan was arrested on the scene and charged with selling alcoholic beverages to a person under 21, a second-degree misdemeanor.
During the operation, deputies visited ten different stores across the Lakeland area. While nine of the ten businesses successfully passed the check by refusing service to the minor, Sheriff Grady Judd emphasized that a 90% success rate is still a failing grade for the community.
"Ninety percent of the stores we checked on Thursday did the right thing, but that's not good enough," said Sheriff Grady Judd. "We need to be seeing 100% each time we do this. These sales clerks and stores need to be checking IDs and refusing to sell alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21, as required by law."
Operation Pop Top remains a priority for the PCSO as they continue to monitor compliance and protect the youth of Polk County.
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