Clerks charged with selling tobacco to minors

Over the past two weeks, undercover deputies and a teenaged operative conducted two underage tobacco enforcement details around the county; and, now that operation “Dry Spring” has concluded, the results have been reported to Historic City News.

Sheriff’s spokesman Kevin Kelshaw said that this was the first time that the Youth Services Section had targeted underage tobacco sales in St Johns County.

Out of thirty-one convenience store clerks that were approached during the investigation, only four sold a can of Copenhagen to the 16-year old male operative. Parameters established during this detail provided that the teenager would produce his actual identification, if asked, and state his true age, if requested.

Deputies in plain clothes would be inside the store at the time and witnessed the transaction, Kelshaw said. Florida law requires that you must be 18-years-old to purchase tobacco products.

A complaint affidavit charging the clerks with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a second degree misdemeanor, was executed against each of the four clerks who did sell to the underage operative.

The establishments where clerks were charged with selling tobacco to a minor were:

Kangaroo, 4540 US-1 North, a 24-year old male
Kangaroo, 465 SR-16, a 22-year old male
Kangaroo, 511 Anastasia Boulevard, a 23-year old male
Kangaroo, 715 SR-207, a 46-year old male

Clerks at the following establishments refused to sell to the underage operative:

Speedway, 4401 Lewis Speedway
Smoker’s Depot, 525 SR-16
Kangaroo, 2330 SR-16
Daily’s Shell, 2355 SR-16
Exxon Mobile, 2450 SR-16
Race Track, 2711 SR-16
BP, 125 Center Place Way
Daily’s Shell, 120 Center Place Way
Pilot, 1625 CR-210 West
T/A Travel Center, 1650 CR-210 West
Kangaroo, 1740 CR-210 West
Daily’s Shell, 2250 CR-210 West
Winn Dixie, 2220 CR-210 West
Hess 150 Hampton Point Dr
Also Welcome Food Mart, 224 San Marco Boulevard
T of St. Augustine Food Store, 52 San Marco Boulevard
A1A Discount Beverage, 855 Anastasia Boulevard
Kangaroo, 351 A1A Beach Boulevard
Kangaroo, 1115 A1A Beach Boulevard
Winn Dixie, 3905 A1A South
Kangaroo, 4301 A1A South
Kangaroo, 6929 A1A South
Kangaroo, 8880 A1A South
Citgo, 2110 US-1 South
BP, 2499 US-1 South
Kangaroo, 2800 US-1 South
Kangaroo, 1710 SR-207