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Dayton man charged for allegedly possessing $19,000 worth of untaxed tobacco products

WCCO digital headlines: Afternoon of Nov. 21, 2023
WCCO digital headlines: Afternoon of Nov. 21, 2023 01:20

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Anoka County Attorney's Office charged a Dayton man with one felony count of possessing untaxed tobacco products, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced Tuesday. 

Revenue officials conducted a "random tobacco retail inspection" of Iyad Sati's business, Tobacco Vape Center, where they allegedly found more than $19,000 worth of products that did not have a valid purchase invoice from a licensed distributor.

RELATED: Minnesota reissuing nearly 150,000 expired one-time tax rebate checks

Officials seized the products, and Sati did not request a judicial review, which could have prevented the products from becoming state property.

The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail, a $10,000 fine, or both.

The department says efforts are ongoing to enforce Minnesota's cigarette and tobacco laws.

For more information on who is liable for a tobacco tax, visit the department's website.

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