By Victor Milani
Ohio Department of Taxation officers, armed with warrants, seized and confiscated tobacco and rolling machines used for tobacco products at King Me USA. The building, located in the Northfield Plaza, is a facility where people go to play checkers. Plaza owner Howard Shafron isn’t sure when, or if the will reopen. The location and case are under further investigation by the Ohio Department of Taxation. They are investigating the possibility of untaxed goods and products.
Criminal investigators from the Ohio Department of Taxation executed three (3) search warrants on Wednesday, October 26 at businesses in Northfield, Grafton, and Lodi suspected of conducting illegal sales of untaxed tobacco products.
Enforcement agents seized a total of five ‘roll-your-own’ (RYO) cigarette machines (2 from the Northfield business, 2 from the Grafton location, 1 from the Lodi operation), an unspecified quantity of loose tobacco and rolling tubes, as well as various business records.
The businesses in Northfield (10333 Northfield Road) and Grafton (35111 Royalton) share a common name – King Me USA — and common management — King Me RYO. The business in Lodi, named Lodi RYO & Tobacco, is under different ownership.
The Department of Taxation, in cooperation with the respective county prosecutors, expects to file multiple criminal charges including trafficking in cigarettes to avoid payment of tax, operating without a vendor’s or dealer’s license, and failure to collect sales tax. Names of those to be charged are being withheld pending completion of the investigation.
Agents from the department’s Criminal Investigations Division were assisted at the three locations by, respectively, the Northfield Police Department, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lodi Police Department.
Update provided by Gary Gudmundson Communications Director Ohio Department of Taxation
