Atlantic City Convenience Store Clerk Sold Drugs, Loose Cigarettes: Police

Three people were facing charges after an Atlantic City convenience store clerk was caught selling drugs, authorities said.

In a news release on Monday, Aug. 26, the Atlantic City Police Department said 35-year-old Cecil Monroe of Atlantic City, 58-year-old Tariq Mehmood of Egg Harbor Township, and 39-year-old Yasmin Faheem of Atlantic City were charged in the case. Mehmood is an owner of 24 Seven Food Mart in Atlantic City.

Detectives were investigating drugs being sold on the 1400 block of Atlantic Avenue at around 1:11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16. Morgan, who works at the store, was seen leaving from behind the counter to sell drugs several times to customers while he had a digital scale used to weigh drugs.

Morgan was arrested when he left the store unattended with customers inside it. Officers found him with 12 grams of cocaine and more than four grams of marijuana.

Police searched the store and found several cartons of cigarettes and drug-dealing items. Morgan was also seen selling loose cigarettes to one customer.

Investigators with the state Department of Treasury’s Office of Criminal Investigation and the city's licensing and inspection department were notified about Morgan's arrest. The city also suspended the store's business license.

Morgan was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public zone, and possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia.

Mehmood and Faheem were 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.

Anyone with information about the case should call Atlantic City police at 609-347-5766 or send an anonymous text that begins with "ACPD" to TIP411 (847411).