Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Illegal bar operating at Phillips Street residence

Cade Belisle/Collegian

An Amherst police search of an off-campus residence that houses multiple University of Massachusetts students has confirmed reports that an illegal bar has been operating out of the home, officials said.

On Monday, police executed a search warrant at 11 Phillips St., which resulted in the confirmation of “reports that an illegal bar was being kept in this residential neighborhood,” according to a press release.
The release said that 14 UMass students, all male, live in the house. The house is located behind the residence for the sorority Iota Gamma Upsilon, and it appears that the other surrounding homes are also student residences.
Police noted and took evidence of unlicensed distribution of alcoholic beverages, “numerous kegs, dispensation equipment and taps and cash” at the home, according to the release.
The occupants of the residence have been summoned to the Eastern Hampshire District Court to face criminal charges, including keeping a disorderly house, nuisance house and being in possession of unlicensed kegs, according to the release.
Phillips Street has a history of being a popular destination for large-scale and rowdy off-campus parties.
The 11 Phillips St. residence made an appearance in the town’s crime log last month, when a 20-year-old Wilbraham male was arrested at the house on charges of having an open container of
alcohol and being a person under 21 in possession of alcohol.
The released added that due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, there is a possibility for the occupants to face additional criminal charges.
Amherst Police Lt. Ronald Young, who’s the head of the department’s detective bureau, could not be reached for further comment yesterday.

Chelsie Field can be reached at [email protected].

 

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  • A

    AmherstResidentDec 21, 2012 at 3:07 am

    This whole thing is completely blown out of proportion. I’m sure if the cops raided every other off campus house owned by students, they would charge almost all of them with running an illegal bar. You can’t stop students from doing what they are going to do anyway by cracking down on these houses.

    Reply
  • U

    umass2Nov 2, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    Being a house that throws parties and charges to get in is not the same as being an elaborate underground business. This is a case of one house’s partying being blown entirely out of proportion and all of the “evidence” is grossly out of context. They’re not doing anything that any other athletic house or fraternity house isn’t doing.

    Reply
  • H

    hmNov 2, 2012 at 11:27 am

    bummer. whatever happened to the free market?!

    Reply
  • M

    MNov 1, 2012 at 9:19 pm

    This isn’t petty.

    Reply
  • U

    UMassNov 1, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    What a joke. Arrest the entire campus if you’re going to care about this petty shit

    Reply
  • L

    Larry KelleyNov 1, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    According to the official town property card 11 Phillips is only a “one family house,” and as such should have no more than four (4) unrelated tenants living together.

    45 Phillips Street is also in violation of town zoning as well:

    http://onlyintherepublicofamherst.blogspot.com/2012/11/yet-another-underground-frat.html

    Reply