Palatine shuts down convenience store

The business license of a Palatine convenience store has been revoked after village officials said it sold cigarettes to minors.

Today, Village Manager Reid Ottesen ruled to shut down Oka Inc. Convenience Store at 1506 W. Algonquin Road.

The move comes after the village said the store violated an order to suspend all tobacco sales, stemming from earlier incidents where cigarettes were sold to minors.

On May 4, 2006, and May 31 and Sept. 5 of this year, the store was cited for selling tobacco to people under 18.

Those violations prompted a Sept. 21 hearing at village hall. The store was ordered to remove all tobacco products and advertising. The owner, Helmay Elganzoury, agreed to this.

But on Oct. 9, he sold tobacco products to a police crime analyst there to check on the store, Assistant Village Manager Sam Trakas said.

At a hearing this morning, the license was officially revoked. The business also must pay a $500 fine.

In Palatine, officials will not reissue a business license to someone who has previously had one revoked.

No one answered the convenience store's phone today, nor could Elganzoury be reached at a number listed to his name in Carpentersville.