Second discount convenience store raided by ABC officers
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on February 10, 2017 6:35 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Wayne County ABC Law Enforcement Chief Joseph Sadler inspects a bottle of Old English Malt liquor that was included in a large assortment of alcohol confiscated from Five Star Discount convenience.
Authorities raided Eastern Wayne Discount convenience store on New Hope Road Feb. 3, after learning the owner was selling alcohol without a permit and forced him to remove the alcohol from the store, said Joe Sadler, Wayne County ABC Law Enforcement Chief Thursday.
Sadler also said the owner, identified as 45-year-old Newman Saleh, was in possession of 75 to 100 boxes of "black market Viagra."
"We told him to get it (the Viagra) out of the store and he did," Salder said. "We did not destroy it, and there's a reason for that, but I can't tell you why right now."
Sadler said he followed-up the day after the raid and confirmed that Saleh had removed both the "black market Viagra" and alcohol from the store, located at 774 E. New Hope Road.
If an undercover agent would have made a purchase from the store, then the alcohol and "black market Viagra" would have been seized, Salder said. Instead, agents with ABC and N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement were able to go in around 4:30 p.m. Feb. 3 and raid the store after learning through complaints that the store was selling alcohol without permits.
Saleh had approximately 100 cases of beer and some wine in the store, Sadler said, valued at $2,500 retail.
He was charged with possession of more than 80 liters of malt beverage with intent to sell, Sadler said.
He was not arrested, but instead charged and allowed to go on his way, Sadler said.
"He wasn't present when we got there," Sadler said. "The reason we didn't arrest him is because he pulled up with his daughter with him while we were there, so we charged him and let him take his daughter home."
Sadler said the "black market Viagra" discovered at the store was sitting on the counter when law enforcement officers walked in, and says "Viagra" on the package, but actually contains substances such as gypsum.
Sadler said Saleh did not have permits because he did not secure them after buying the store from the previous owner, who did have permits.
"Once you sell the business the permits are not transferable, so you can't continue to sell alcohol under the previous owner's permits," Sadler said.
This raid is connected to a prior raid that took place Feb. 1 at Five Star Discount at 3515 Central Heights Road, Sadler confirmed.
Sadler said Saleh and the owner of Five Star Discount are related and are both from Yemen.
These two men are also related to other store owners in eastern North Carolina, Sadler said, which is a matter that is also being investigated.
"They are all from Yemen, and they are all related somehow even though they have different last names," Sadler said.
Sadler said these two raids in the past eight days are part of an ongoing campaign to bring stores not compliant with laws and regulations into compliance.
"What's happening is most of these other stores owned by the same group is that one will get charged and become ineligible to have ABC permits, so they'll sell it to another person on paper that can get ABC permits," Sadler said.