Frankfort Whacks BP Station For Selling Tobacco to Minor

The BP station on Lincoln Highway in Frankfort was fined $2,500 and forbidden to sell tobacco for seven days for falling prey in a recent cigarette sting.

"The one concern is we don't want this to continue," said Frankfort Village Administrator Jerry Ducay.

Attorney George Mahoney had pointed out on the day of a scheduled administrative hearing Tuesday that the BP Station has been caught selling tobacco to minors four times since 2004. In the first instance the business was in the hands of a different owner.

"We don't want a pattern to develop," Ducay said. "The next step would be revocation of the license."

Employees of the BP station caught selling tobacco to minors are fired, a representative of the company said.

In addition to the fine and suspension, the village ordered current employees and any new hires to take a web-based class on selling alcohol and tobacco to minors.

Three other Frankfort businesses—the Speedways on South Center and South LaGrange roads, and the Walgreens on Lincoln Highway near Harlem Avenue—also were punished but got off easier due to their clean records.

Speedway was fined $250 for each guilty station. Employees of the two establishments and the third Frankfort Speedway all were ordered to take the web class.

The Walgreens was hit with a $250 fine and was subjected to the same web class mandate. A representative of the store said Walgreens has its own internet tutorial. Mayor Jim Holland allowed the Walgreens class to be substituted for the one the village requires.

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