McCabe’s Lounge in DeKalb has been forced to shut down for 14 days as punishment for allegedly allowing two minors to enter the bar and obtain and drink alcohol on June 11.

The license of the bar, located at 323 E. Lincoln Hwy., will be suspended from 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 1 until 12 a.m. on Aug. 3 and from 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 8 until 12 a.m. on Aug. 18.

About ten people attended the July 28 public hearing in which DeKalb Liquor Commissioner Greg Sparrow accepted the agreement established between City Attorney Ron Matekaitis and the attorney of McCabe’s Owner Mufid Saleh before the hearing.

After the 15-minute hearing, Sparrow said the suspension was a “pretty harsh penalty.” However, he went on to say, “As far as I’m concerned it was justified.”

Although Saleh had no comment on the suspension, his attorney Jordan Gallagher said Saleh chose not to contest the charges so he could “get on with business.”

“The ultimate outcome (of the June 11 incident) was very sad,” Gallagher said. “Mr. Saleh needed to get this behind him.”

An investigation of the bar began after 19-year-old Stacey C. Krusbe was killed in an auto accident after allegedly being served alcohol by a friend at McCabe’s. Charges were filed against the bar for allegedly allowing minors Krusbe and Anessia Ragan to enter or remain in the bar and be sold or permitted to drink alcohol.

Gallagher said the penalty was “very severe,” because the DeKalb Police investigation indicated the minors entered through a door which normally was locked. The minors would have been carded had they entered through the correct entrance, he said.

“I can assure everyone and the liquor commissioner that the door will not be unlocked in the future,” he said.

In past stories, Saleh has told the Star he believes the minors were rejected from the bar on the night of the incident. Therefore, he has said, any charges would be unfair and the minors should be held responsible for their own actions.

Gallagher said the suspension is going to have a strong detrimental effect on McCabe’s business. In most of these cases, he said, bars usually have licenses suspended for only up to four days.