St. Charles revokes license of tobacco shop accused of underage sales
St. Charles officials have revoked the license of a tobacco shop cited with a series of city ordinance violations related to underage sales.
Al Tijara LLC, which operates "Smoke/Vape" in the Foxfield Commons Shopping Center, also was fined $1,385, the city announced in a news release. The penalties were set by Mayor Ray Rogina, who serves as liquor control commissioner.
"There are certain zero-tolerance matters that I've dealt with over my seven years as mayor," Rogina said. "Here, particularly as it relates to tobacco, the issue has always been, in my mind, sale to a minor."
The business is accused of selling tobacco or alternative nicotine products to a customer under the age of 21 on three occasions: Nov. 6, Dec. 3 and Jan. 20, according to the city's complaint. On Dec. 3, the underage sale was completed by an employee who was also younger than 21.
Business owner Irfan Khan admitted to the allegations in February and requested a mitigation hearing, which was held last week. He had been spending more time at a shop he owns in Naperville than at the St. Charles store, and is "very remorseful about the events that have taken place at his business," attorney Stavri Vako said.
"He is fully aware that his negligence of (these) basic duties as a business owner led to the events of him having to voluntarily close his store," Vako said.
The employees who were working when the violations occurred have been fired, and Khan planned to manage the shop himself if it were to reopen, his attorney told the city's liquor commission. He also created a mitigation plan that included a new ID scanning machine, new signs, additional training materials and other efforts to prevent future violations.
During the hearing, Rogina stressed the importance of tackling the underage vaping issue, which he said has become a societal dilemma among middle and high school students.
"You as well as anybody else can understand the dangers of tobacco as it relates to minor children," he told Khan.