Got moonshine?
Daniel David Pawa did, according to state alcohol agents. Over 40 gallons of the stuff.
That's how much illegal liquor the Lantana man is accused of distilling and selling to undercover Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco agents who were posing as customers in need of 'shine'.
The agents met with the accused hooch supplier after posting an ad to Craigslist on Nov. 13 that was simply headlined, 'Moonshine?'
In the ad, an undercover agent called on whoever had the "strong stuff" to shoot him a text.
A middleman for Pawa, who identified himself as Tyler, responded within a half hour: "Saw your ad on Craigslist looking for some shine."
The ball was rolling.
On Thursday, after a three-month investigation involving undercover purchases, agents arrested Pawa. He is accused of operating a moonshine still from a house in the 200 block of East Palm Street in Lantana.
On Friday, Michael Ryan Inman, 25, and Amanda Marie Pouncey, 26, were also arrested.
Moonshine, also known as hooch or white lightning, is an illegal, high-potency liquor that is often homemade.
"Moonshine was deemed illegal as it poses potential health dangers to consumers," said Sandi Copes Poreda, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. "The danger in moonshine comes from the use of unregulated materials, which can lead to various threats to the consumers' health."
Poreda said the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco has been enforcing against moonshine since 1933.
In the past 12 months there has been one other arrest in Florida related to moonshine, Poreda said.
In November, state beverage agents arrested Fort Pierce man Jefferson Auvil on moonshine-related charges. He was convicted in December, Poreda said.
Pawa allegedly texted agents saying that he could make moonshine with fruity flavors and moonshine with a sweet tea taste. He also said he could also make an unflavored moonshine that would be 180 proof, or 90% alcohol by volume.
That's almost 30% higher than the Florida legal limit of 153 proof, agents said.
According to the Pawa arrest report, an agent met with Inman and outside a West Palm BeachIHOP on Nov. 17 after texting with Pawa.
The agent bought two gallons of the 180 proof moonshine for $150 a gallon.
To find out who they were dealing with, agents ran searches on phone numbers and checked driver's licenses.
They also ran the plate number of the Chrysler 300 used to deliver the moonshine on Nov. 17, and found it was registered to Pouncey. At the time of the delivery, a female was also in the car, agents said.
SOURCE: www.sun-sentinel.com
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