St. Mary’s sheriff’s deputies sent underage informants into 43 businesses last week to try to buy alcohol, and the law officers report that 10 locations failing the compliance test were cited for the unlawful sale of alcohol and could receive fines or a suspension of their liquor licenses.

Sheriff’s deputy James Stone, the county’s alcohol enforcement coordinator, conducted the compliance checks carried out on July 31 and Aug. 1, and the sheriff’s office reports that violations occurred at Niko’s Pizza and Carryout at St. Mary’s Square in Lexington Park, Stop’n Shop on Great Mills Road in Lexington Park, Monterey Mexican Restaurant on MacArthur Boulevard in California, The Coffee Quarter on MacArthur Boulevard in California, Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar on Lexington Village Way in Lexington Park, Boatman’s Mini Mart on Oakville Road in Mechanicsville, Dave McKay’s Liquors on Mohawk Drive in Charlotte Hall, A&B Liquor on Three Notch Road in Mechanicsville, Loveville Tavern on Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown and Toot’s Bar on Mervell Dean Road in Hollywood.

Stone said this week that the informants had their identification cards and were told not to lie about their age, which may have spared some of the other businesses being investigated from being charged with violations.

“I’m concerned that some of the businesses were not able to do the math from looking at the IDs,” Stone said. “They would look at the ID for a little bit and then ask the question, ‘How old are you?’ They said they were 19, and the businesses turned them away.”

Stone said most of the alcohol purchases by the four informants consisted of beer, tea beverages with alcohol and, in the case of the coffee shop, a coffee with Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Tamara Hildebrand, the administrator for the St. Mary’s Alcohol Beverage Board, indicated this week that administrative charges from the investigation might be heard at the board’s monthly meeting in September.

JOHN WHARTON