A Skokie tobacco store was hit with hefty Cook County fines after officials said more than 1,500 unstamped packs of cigarettes were discovered on the premises, according to a news release from Cook County board President Tony Preckwinkle’s office.
Officials with the Cook County Department of Revenue and the sheriff’s office conducted a raid on Skokie Discount Tobacco Inc., located at 4019 Oakton Street in Skokie, after an undercover CCDOR investigator bought a pack of unstamped cigarettes Oct. 19, the release states.
Officials said the undercover purchase was made following a tip and proved the business was making illegal cigarette sales, according to the release.
“Establishing that the business was selling untaxed tobacco, CCDOR investigators returned to the store where they observed the store clerk closing a concealed wall compartment in an attempt to hide the illegal cigarettes,” the release states.
County officials said the raid may be the largest confiscation of unstamped cigarettes so far this year. And the business has been fined over $47,000, “due to the exceptionally large quantity of unstamped cigarettes found on the property,” according to the release.
“Through determined enforcement efforts, our Revenue Department is combatting a sly and sophisticated tobacco black market,” Preckwinkle said in the release.
After the initial undercover purchase, investigators returned later that week to the store and saw the store clerk close a wall compartment to hide the illegal cigarettes, the release states.
The hidden compartment was later opened with the use of a remote control, where agents said 1,258 packs of unstamped cigarettes were found. An additional concealed compartment was found in the countertop near the cash register. This second hidden area contained 303 additional packs of unstamped cigarettes, according to the release.
More Top Picks Water Flosser
The Cook County Tobacco Tax Ordinance calls for packs of cigarettes and other tobacco products to include a county-issued stamp that indicates taxes have been paid on the goods.
Violations of the ordinance carry a fine of $1,000 for up to 40 unstamped cigarette packs and $25 per pack for each additional unstamped pack, according to text of the legislation.
Skokie Discount Tobacco received the penalty and an additional $2,000 due to having been previously cited for this same violation, according to the release.
The store was also cited for concealment and fined the $2,000 penalty along with an additional $4,000 for previously having been cited for concealment.
The business owner did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
“Overall, the county is expected to collect $127 million in cigarette tax revenue in 2017 and has confiscated more than 12,800 unstamped cigarettes in Cook County,” according to the release.
Kyra Senese is a freelancer.