Three Clerks Charged With Illegal Tobacco Sales

By Andrew Gorosko

Following up on a tobacco sting operation conducted last fall, town police and state agents conducted another tobacco sting operation at local businesses Monday, charging three store clerks for illegally selling cigarettes to people under age 18, Acting Police Chief Michael Kehoe said.

In the operation, which occurred between 10:30 am and 4 pm, agents visited 26 businesses that sell tobacco.

Police conducted the operation with state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) agents. The DMHAS supplies underage agents who seek to purchase cigarettes at businesses.

The three clerks charged with infractions for illegal sale of tobacco to a minor were Mukesh Patel, 35, of New Fairfield, at Newtown Shell Service at 67 Church Hill Road; Jennifer Werden, 24, of Southbury, at Hot Shots Sports Club & Café at 71 South Main Street; and Bessie Haynes, 16, of 17 Main Street, at Newtown General Store at 43 Main Street.

The charge carries a $200 fine. The accused may mail in the fine, or challenge the charge in Danbury Superior Court.

Besides the charges lodged against the store clerks by police February 26, the DMHAS may place administrative sanctions against the businesses at which the cigarettes were sold to underage buyers, he said.

Acting Chief Kehoe said he is pleased that only three businesses sold tobacco to minors.

“When we get voluntary compliance with the law, I’m always pleased,” he said.

“I’ll be the happiest when everybody is complying [with the law] within town,” he said.

The sting operations demonstrate to local businesses that police are serious about enforcing age restrictions on tobacco sales, he said.

The tobacco sting operation conducted February 26 is a follow-up operation to a similar action last September. Last September 27, police conducted a tobacco sting operation at 30 businesses in which police charged four clerks in four stores with selling cigarettes to underage buyers. Those four stores were different establishments than the three stores at which charges were pressed February 26, Acting Chief Kehoe said.

Besides the tobacco sales sting operations, Acting Chief Kehoe said town police would be doing more alcohol sales sting operations in the future.

In an alcohol sting operation last November 4, police found that 5 of 16 local retail alcohol outlets illegally sold beer to underage undercover buyers. People must be at least 21 to legally buy alcohol.

Agents from the state Liquor Control Commission and town police participated. In that operation, police did not file criminal charges, but allowed the Liquor Control Commission to pursue the liquor violations administratively with the alcohol sales permit holders of the five businesses.