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3 stores fail tobacco sales inspections
Published Thursday, December 4, 2008
Three of Freeborn County’s businesses were found to have made illegal tobacco sales Tuesday during sheriff’s office compliance checks.
Freeborn County Sheriff Mark Harig said retail clerks from Petrol Pumper in Alden, Nielsen’s Conoco in Hartland and Nielsen’s Gopher Stop in Clarks Grove were each cited with furnishing tobacco to minors.
This is the fourth violation for Petrol Pumper — where there were previous violations in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Nielsen’s Conoco had one previous violation in 2006, and Nielsen’s Gopher Stop has had no previous tobacco violations, Harig said.
None of the clerks cited had previous citations.
The checks were part of a compliance check required by state law, which went into effect in 1997. The law states that sheriff’s and police departments in Minnesota are required to conduct tobacco compliance checks at least one time each year with businesses that sell tobacco.
As part of the process, minors under the age of 18 were sent into 13 businesses in the county to attempt to purchase smokeless tobacco or cigarettes.
Mark Harig
Retail clerks who are found selling tobacco to minors are issued misdemeanor citations for a first violation. That citation carries a maximum penalty of no more than 90 days in jail and a fine of no more than $1,000.
In addition to the clerks being charged, the businesses themselves can be assessed an administrative penalty.
Harig said the city council in each town issues tobacco licenses, so it is up to the councils to determine if a license should be suspended or for how long after violations are reported.
He said he would think that the fine would be higher and the suspension of the license longer every time a business gets a violation, but that’s totally up to the city councils in each individual town.
If the councils refuse to take action, the state can step up and impose a civil penalty, he said.
Business who did not sell the tobacco to the minors during the compliance check will be issued a letter congratulating them on refusing to sell to a minor.
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Comments
Posted by outoftownlandlord (anonymous) on December 3, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow he is earning every penny of his new rasise. Let's see you have several people attacked in a place where they should be safe and the county is checking to see if someone who looks 18 can buy smokes. Yea that is a serious problem that kid may kill or hurt me with his/her second hand smoke or worse yet he/she may give themself a sickness that the state will have to pay for.
Way to go Freeborn county so glad you are out there stopping real crime. They should rasie our taxes more and give you a bigger rasie next year.
We really have lost touch with reality when this is a huge crime. These clerks will serve more jail time than those girls. Man what a great system....
Posted by taxpayer (anonymous) on December 3, 2008 at 2:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This all gets more comical by the hour!!!! Seriously!!! We have minors out there committing physical and sexual acts to vulnerable adults that I wouldn't wish on my WORST enemy and law enforcement is worried about minors using tobacco. WOW!!!
Posted by InterestedReader (anonymous) on December 3, 2008 at 3:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You two must not have read the article. It is state law that the sheriff has to conduct these checks, which means the state MANDATES these checks by the sheriff. Has nothing to do with the sheriff not doing thier job at Good Sam. Every county and city in the state must do these checks. Complain about the state not Freeborn County on this issue.
Posted by 1234carman (anonymous) on December 3, 2008 at 6:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Of course the state mandates the checks, it is REVENUE.
Posted by Truth (anonymous) on December 3, 2008 at 6:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So true it is all about the $$$$$ but come on we all know that they can cut these place a break. The state should have bigger things to worry about.
As for their comments just shows you that people have had it with pay rasies and are up set at what happen at Good Sam's. We should all be a little out raged about this.
Posted by brokewhitegirl (anonymous) on December 3, 2008 at 11:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Others might not agree, but I always laugh to myself when I buy lottery tickets. They are so big on checking the ID of people buying tobacco, but it is just as illegal for a minor to buy a lotto ticket, and the company can get in just as much trouble, yet I NEVER see them ID people for buying a lotto ticket. Just something I think about from time to time.
Posted by vaiyanen (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 12:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I can can speak with some authority on this as years ago I failed an alcohol compliance check at a previous job.
I was initially charged with a FELONY and a misdemeanor and faced a year and three months jail time along with over $10,000 in fines.
In pleading guilty to the misdemeanor, the felony charge was dropped. I was given the minimum fine of $545 along with a year of unsupervised probation. Not bad compared to what I was facing.
A felony charge for neglecting to ask for identification for beer.
A gross misdemeanor charge for sexual predators abusing vulnerable adults.
I shudder to think what sort of sweetheart deal these women will be able to obtain in a plea bargain.
Our tax dollars and the judicial system at work, folks!
Posted by taxpayer (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey vaiyanen...maybe if you and your family would have known the county attorney on a personal level, you may have got off with just a slap on the wrist. Just a thought. It seems to be working for others.
Posted by MNNURSE (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OMG-
IT IS A FELONY TO NOT CHECK ID AND A MISDEMEANOR TO SEXUALLY ASSULT SOMEONE-
I THINK I'M GOING TO BE SICK.
Posted by vaiyanen (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 7:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
taxpayer - Perhaps.
When I saw this story along with the abuses that occurred at Good Samaritan I couldn't help but notice the lack of severity in the pentalties those women are facing.
Shocking and infuriating.
We need to let our representatives know that sex crimes need to be punished severely and that the sooner these laws are changed, the better.
Posted by Truth (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The system is sure messed up. We waste government money on this silly law, we don't check out the people who are taking care of our elderly. We go after people be them sales clerks or other law abiding people. I am so sad for the world I am giving my kids....
Posted by Truth (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 8:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sex crimes do not make money for the county or the state so why put them high on the priority list. Just look at the paper why do you think it is filled with traffic violations. The state makes more than catching the thief. The crook cost the speeder pays.... Same goes here those girls cost the county and the state where as the business and the clerks will pay.... Sucks but it is true...
Posted by NoDFL (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 9:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is all about the bucks the county gets and the state gets. With the state in the hole keep an eye on your speed because you will see an increase in tickets and they will be for more and more silly reasons. It is just a way to make money.
Posted by the_truth (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 12:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
could you imagine how much revenue this city would earn if they started enforcing the homeland security laws? You know, the part that makes you a terrorist for jay-walking?! The citizens of this town are getting screwd more and more each day. What ever happened to the "punishment should fit the crime" mentality? I've always felt the compliance checks are a bit silly, but understand their necessity. What I DO NOT agree with is the punishment the violators get. A person sells to a minor, and gets fined up to 1000 bucks? Jail time? What the ____ is up with that? In today's economy, people are barely scraping by as it is.. and the govt. still wants to take the average convience store clerk's next month's wages!? Seems a bit excessive to me... always has.
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