The Banks County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to not reinstate a business license for a Banks Crossing business after a confidential informant allegedly purchased “fake pot” at the convenience store.
The BOC is going to wait further action until getting the results from the Georgia Crime Lab on the item that was sold at Sam’s Food Mart to determine whether it contains illegal chemicals. At that time, the BOC will vote on whether or not to reinstate the business license.
The action to not reinstate the business license came after a one and a half hearing Tuesday in which the owner said he has a letter from the vendor stating that the item he sold does not contain illegal chemicals.
The item sold to the undercover informant on Dec 6 was labeled as “K-2” and was sold as an incense. The label also reportedly stated that the product was not to be used for human consumption.
Banks County Sheriff’s investigators, Brian Lord and Joey Chapman, spoke on the incident and said an item labeled as K-2, which they said is illegal, was sold at the store. However, the owner said the list of chemicals he received from the vendor who he purchased the K-2 from does not include illegal items.
Attorney Dylan Wilbanks, who represented the business owner, said the county doesn’t know whether the item sold contained illegal chemicals.
“J.D. (the business owner) has received notification from the manufacturer that states these chemicals are not in the product they sold,” Wilbanks said.
Wilbanks asked if any arrests have been made in the case and the investigators said no arrests have been made and the sheriff’s office is waiting for the results from the crime lab.
Commissioner Charles Turk said, “If the label has K-2 on it what do you expect us to believe. If it’s written on it, it’s written on it.”
The business owner, Junaid “J.D.” Hameed also spoke and said, “All I’m trying to do is run an honest business. I want to do my business in the county under the law…If this gets me in trouble, I don’t want it in my store. I want to do everything under the law.”
GAMING MACHINES
The hearing also included discussion on gaming machines at the business and whether or not cash was given as prizes, which is not legal. Investigator Chapman said during the search warrant seven receipts were found that did not include signatures. The receipts call for the signatures of the winners stating that they did not receive a cash prize. Chapman said that since these seven receipts were not signed, it indicates that cash prizes were given.
The business owner said store vouchers are given but cash prizes are not given.
Also, your sheriff's department freely admits to taking over $4,000 in cash out of the store.
i see where our tax money is going