St. Charles tobacco shop cited for underage sale

A St. Charles tobacco shop will appear before the liquor control commission this month after authorities said an employee sold an alternate nicotine product to a minor.

Detectives saw a boy who appeared to be younger than 18 enter the Tobacco & Gift Shop at 1556 E. Main St. about 2:54 p.m. on April 18, according to a news release from St. Charles police. Authorities approached the boy when he left the store and discovered he was a minor and had just bought a pack of Juul vape pods, Deputy Chief Erik Mahan said.

Officers had been monitoring the business because of prior complaints about underage sales, officials said.

The employee, 50-year-old Anup Singh of St. Charles, was charged with unlawful sale of an alternative nicotine product to a minor, police said. His next court date is May 25.

The boy was cited for unlawful possession of an alternative nicotine product.

The Tobacco & Gift Shop also has been cited. The fate of its license to sell tobacco will be considered May 21 by the city's local liquor control commission.