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A Northern California restaurant owner is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly defying state and county lockdown orders by allowing table service inside the eatery and for failing to wear a mask.
Jeffrey LeTowt, the owner of the Tuck Box restaurant in the Bay Area city of Carmel-by-the-Sea, allowed patrons to eat inside, a violation of public health orders intended to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
LeTowt is also accused of failing to wear a mask around customers and not implementing social distancing measures.
The Tuck Box restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif. (Google Maps)
He faces three misdemeanor charges, which carry up to six years in prison and a $1,000 fine. Under statewide restrictions, restaurants can operate curbside service only.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced modifications to his stay-at-home order this week that would slowly allow businesses to resume normal operations.
Since being forced to shut down, LeTowt has lost $60,000 in revenue, he told Fox News, while describing the government mandates as an overreach.
"I couldn't pay my property taxes, my mortgage, my rent for the restaurant or my credit cards. How am I going to get that back?" he said.
The restaurant continues to allow dine-in service, LeTowt said, adding that customers have flocked to the establishment from nearby counties in a show of support.
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He said he plans to contest the charges.
"I'm going to show up in court and say 'not guilty,'" he said. "I'm good to go. Bring it. They don't have the right to put me in financial peril."
The restaurant opened in the 1930s and has been operated by LeTowt since 2003, according to its website.
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