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EVANSTON, Wyo. — There are all sorts of signs on I-80 in Evanston, Wyoming. Signs telling you where you're going, what there is to eat and how fast you should go.
Frank Ricci wishes there was one more sign as you’re driving back into Utah.
"You need to inform the people that don't want to do criminal activity,” said Ricci.
Ricci is a businessman who lives in Texas, but he’s been driving back and forth to Draper to do some work on a house. Two weeks ago, he was on his way to Utah when he decided to stop in Evanston to pick up kegs of alcohol.
He had no idea it was against the law in Utah until a Utah state trooper pulled him over for failing to signal. Ricci had the kegs in his back seat and admitted they were his. Now, he's facing a Class B misdemeanor.
"No. I don't like that at all. This is something I take pride in myself and I’m a tax-paying American and I like to make sure I keep my record clean,” said Ricci.
Utah alcohol law 32B, Chapter 4, Section 602 (1) reads “It is unlawful for a person, including a motor carrier, or staff of the person to order or purchase an alcoholic product or to cause an alcoholic product to be shipped, carried, or transported into this state, or from one place to another within this state except as otherwise authorized by this title.”
Alcohol law 32B, Chapter 4, Section 406 (1)(b) reads “a person may not purchase or possess beer in a container that exceeds two liters.”
Ricci feels most people don’t know about Utah's alcoholic beverage control laws, especially those not from Utah.
"I didn't realize I was doing anything wrong,” said Ricci. “The problem is when you have people doing a normal activity, like grocery shopping, and in my opinion beer is a grocery. When you have people doing something that is so innocent and there are no signs giving a warning. In Wyoming, there are no signs leaving the store warning you it is a Class B misdemeanor if you go back a few miles the other way.”
Ricci knows many people who bring alcohol and kegs into Utah will still do it anyway, even if there was a warning sign. However, he says, there is no way he would have broken the law if he knew about it.
"Absolutely not. A Class B misdemeanor, that's a serious crime. It's something, that would be like saying there's something you can steal in the store and there is nobody looking. I don't do that and I know most people don't do that,” said Ricci.
Ricci admits he broke the law and is out $500 for the kegs he bought. He said he is spending $1,500 to hire an attorney to try and remove the misdemeanor off his permanent record.
“It’s something I don’t want on my record because Class B misdemeanors just show up and they don’t know what type of person you are. Are you smoking marijuana and you have an ounce in your car? Do you have drug paraphernalia? Did you commit an assault? These are the crimes that equate to this,” said Ricci.
"The lesson for me is I won't do it again."
