Stung by a sting
John Horvatinovich was pissed off by the pair of underage customers who brazenly ordered beers at his Salt 88 restaurant in Omaha, Neb., back in October. The patrons were refused service, but Horvatinovich knew the boys would likely try the same thing at neighboring establishments. So he took a depiction of the youngsters from his surveillance camera and tweeted the photos, warning fellow “Omaha Restaurant Peeps” that the duo was on the prowl for illegal beers.
The problem was the boys were working for the police, actively looking for establishments that would ignore the law.
Outraged authorities charged Horvatinovich with blowing the boys’ cover and interfering with an investigation, a misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty and was in court this week, awaiting the jury’s decision (still pending as of posting time).
The case pivots on Horvatinovich’s use of the word “sting” in his tweet. He contends that he was just talking about the boy’s determination to find a place that would serve the under-aged, and had no idea they were part of a police campaign. The authorities disagree, and note that Horvatinovich has spoken against the tactics of putting youngsters undercover.
The jury has been out for an afternoon as of this writing.