A text message to an Alaska state trooper in Bethel seeking to illegally buy alcohol led to misdemeanor charges against two women early Wednesday morning, according to an AST dispatch.
Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters says off-duty Trooper Mike Ingram started to receive text messages just after midnight apparently asking to purchase illegal drugs or alcohol. He responded to the texts and arranged a meeting within Bethel city limits.
Ingram was in uniform when he met shortly before 1 a.m. with two Bethel women: the 28-year-old sender of the text messages, as well as a 32-year-old prospective buyer who had also arrived to buy alcohol from Ingram.
Bethel bans alcohol sales, and both women are being charged with license or permit required for alcoholic beverages, a Class A misdemeanor. One of the women brought less than $100 to the meeting, which was seized.
Peters says the women have not been named because the charges against them, which will be forwarded to the Bethel district attorney’s office for review, are still pending.
Editor's note: This story has been changed to state that the initial text message sought to buy rather than sell illegal drugs or alcohol, after clarification from Alaska State Troopers.
