An Atlantic City storeowner previously sentenced for illegal sales is in trouble again.
The 24 Seven Food Market at 1406 Atlantic Ave. was shuttered after a clerk's alleged side business dealing drugs out of the store led police to find illegal cigarette sales as well, according to the charges.
Detectives were conducting surveillance in the area Aug. 16, when they saw Cecil Morgan engaging in the sale of narcotics, Capt. Kevin Fair said.
Morgan, 35, of Atlantic City, came out from behind the counter several times to engage with customers, and was seen using a digital scale like those used in drug distribution, according to the report.
At one point, Morgan left the store unattended with customers inside, Fair said. he was placed in custody and found in possession of 12 grams of cocaine and more than four grams of marijuana.
In addition to the drug sales, Morgan also was seen selling loose cigarettes to a customer.
That's what then brought the city's Department of Licensing and Inspection along with the state Department of Treasury's Office of Criminal Investigation to the store.
Owner Tariq Mehmood, 58, of Egg Harbor Township, was told his store would be closed.
Tariq MehmoodMehmood told BreakingAC he was at prayer when the arrest happened, and failed to answer his phone.
He said he had no idea about the drug sales, and insists he has not received anything in writing about the allegations against him.
But Licensing and Inspections Director Dale Finch said the charges were hand-delivered to Mehmood.
He also was told he can request a hearing to try to have his store reopened, Finch said.
It's not the first time Mehmood has had issues with licensing, and illegal sales.
By March 2013, Mehmood had had two mercantile licenses revoked and was jailed twice within a little more than a year.
At that time, he was again charged with cigarette-related crimes. He was sentenced to 364 days of day-reporting, court records show.
"We're never doing anything wrong here," Mehmood insisted to BreakingAC, alleging he is being harassed because he is a Republican.
He made similar allegations 11 years ago, claiming he is a Pakistani immigrant who was unclear on some of the rules and that he was being targeted by police.
"I wasn't here then," Finch said when told of Mehmood's allegations.
The storeowner acknowledged that different people are in charge than there were more than a decade ago, but that some of the same people "are on the inside."
While his store is closed, all of the food is going bad, he said. He has not yet retained an attorney.
Morgan is charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of with intent to distribute, two counts of possession with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public zone and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Mehmood and Yasmin Faheem, 39, of Atlantic City, are charged with possession of unstamped, out-of-state stamped and/or counterfeit stamped cigarettes, engaging in a cigarette transaction with an unlicensed person, sale of loosies and failure to display the New Jersey Cigarette Retail Dealer’s License.
Each was released on a summons with a future court date.
