Pennsylvania business owner caught selling moonshine at auto store, agents said

CLEARFIELD COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Police have charged a Pennsylvania man for selling moonshine out of his father’s tire and repair shop.

Steven Scaife II, 34, of Houtzdale, is accused of selling moonshine at a tire store to members of the Pennsylvania State Police on multiple occasions last year.

Troopers said that on Friday, March 10, 2023, at 3 p.m., they arrived at Scaife Affordable Tire and Auto Repair where they met Scaife’s father. Officers said in the complaint that they asked for two caramel apple moonshine and that Scaife’s father went to the garage and returned with the moonshine in quart jars.

His father said he had to text Scaife to find out how much they cost and told troopers he was a 50 percent owner with his son in the moonshine business. According to the affidavit, officers would give Scaife’s phone number and could call him to place an order.

The moonlight was used as evidence.

About two weeks later, soldiers contacted Scaife to order several different flavors of moonshine. The charges show the troopers asked to collect the moonshine after the garage closed, which Scaife said he would leave the moonshine at the garage.

Scaife told officers he wouldn’t be there when they picked him up and asked them to put the money in the key slot on the door. Police recovered three other pots which were submitted as evidence.

On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, police officers arrived at the store and began questioning Scaife about his moonshine business and the sale of illegal alcohol. While at the store, troopers noted in the complaint that Scaife took them back to a white tractor-trailer with a sleeper where the moonshine was located.

According to the affidavit, Scaife admitted to using 1.5 gallons of illegal moonshine at a time and had been producing 50 gallons since October 2022.

He is charged with misdemeanor counts of illegally selling alcohol and failing to distill alcohol without obtaining a license.

Scaife is currently awaiting his preliminary hearing scheduled for July 24.