April 4, 2011
Contact: Lt. Paul Child PIO 801-292-8441
Date: April 4, 2011
Re: Revocation of Tobacco License at City Smoke Shop
On April 3, 2010, Centerville Police was requested by the Utah State Tax Commission to do an inspection of the City Smoke Shop to ensure they were in compliance with a revocation order of their license to sell tobacco products from the Centerville store. The Smoke Shop is located in a retail strip mall located at 356 N Market Place Drive, Suite A300, in Centerville. Chief Worsley, Lieutenant Child, and a uniformed officer went to the smoke shop and found that no tobacco products had been removed and were still on display shelves.
Police were initially told that the ownership of the City Smoke Shop business in Centerville had just changed hands to a man who operates another smoke shop in Salt Lake County and that the new owner was obtaining a new license to sell tobacco at the Centerville location; however, we were then advised that the transfer of ownership had not yet occurred, and the business was still being operated by the currently registered owner of the City Smoke Shop. The reported owner and reported prospective owner were advised that all tobacco products needed to be removed from the store. The decision to close the store was make by the owner. The City Smoke Shop sells a variety of tobacco and hookah related paraphernalia and some clothing items in the store along with a variety of tobacco products.
The revocation of a license to sell tobacco was as a result of multiple “illegal sale of tobacco” violations where it was determined that tobacco was sold to underage persons. Centerville Police received several reports that the City Smoke Shop was selling tobacco to minors and began investigating in June of 2010. During the months of June, July, August, and again in November of 2010 Centerville Police conducted several controlled purchases of tobacco from the shop using underage paid informants which resulted in multiple criminal charges of illegally selling tobacco to minors. The Davis County Health Department became involved and sought the revocation of the businesses license to sell tobacco which is regulated by the State Tax Commission. On April 1, 2011, the State revoked the tobacco license of the City Smoke Shop in Centerville for a period of one year until March 31, 2012.
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