CHARLOTTE — The Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and North Carolina ABC Commission are unveiling the results of “Operation High Octane.” The year-long undercover operation targeted the illegal sale of liquor. In North Carolina, it is illegal to sell alcohol on the secondary market. Meck ABC says 28 criminal summonses were issued, and officers “uncovered a sophisticated underground network profiting from the unlawful sale of rare and allocated spirits.”
“This operation reinforces our commitment to ensuring alcohol is sold lawfully, responsibly, and within a regulated system designed to protect the public,” Kevin Stone, Law Enforcement chief at Mecklenburg County ABC Board, said. “Illegal alcohol sales undermine consumer safety, evade state taxes, and disrupt the integrity of North Carolina’s controlled system.
Stone says the bottles were frequently bought out of state and marked up.
“Every kind of high-end bourbon you can think about,” he said. “A bottle of Stagg, Angel’s Envy 15-year, a number of the BTAC collection bottles, the very high-end stuff.”
Stones says Operation High Octane was a year-long, buy-bust operation where undercover officers got into exclusive group chats and Discord servers where people talked in code.
“Some of the group chats you have to get one person to vouch for you,” he said. “Others, you have to get three people.”
Last week, Meck ABC partnered with Greensboro Police to seize 14 bottles of high-end bourbon and cash. The online sale was for $5,160. On March 30, officers negotiated an $8,500 purchase for five bottles of Pappy Van Winkle. The North Carolina retail value is $1,419.
On April 2 in Charlotte, officers negotiated a $2,250 purchase for 11 assorted bottles, including Angel’s Envy and Hibiki.
On April 9 in Charlotte, officers negotiated a $3,500 purchase for 34 bottles of bourbon with a North Carolina retail value of $2,251 and a $1,980 purchase for 14 bottles, including EH Taylor and Weller 107.
On April 10 in Huntersville, officers negotiated a $1,940 purchase for five premium bottles, including George T. Stagg and Thomas Handy. The North Carolina retail value is $549.
Stone says this is about more than just tax evasion. He says people who buy them risk overpaying for counterfeit or tampered products.
“You’re paying premium dollar for it, and you really don’t know exactly what you’re getting,” he said.
Meck ABC holds on to all of the seized liquor through the court process and then, upon a judge’s order, they destroy it.
Purchasing rare bottles in Mecklenburg County requires a little luck. You can walk into an ABC store and see if they have what you want locked in a glass case or behind the counter. Meck ABC does occasional events like Barrelpalooza, where hard-to-get spirits are sold and limited to 1 per customer per day. There is also a bourbon lottery. It is a yearly lottery where, if you are drawn, they will call you, and you have the right to purchase a signature bottle.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
