NORWICH– Following an investigation into the sale of alcohol and tobacco to underage residents, the Norwich Police Department (NPD) arrested the store owner and another worker of the A&R Smoke Shop on North Broad Street in the City of Norwich around 10:30 a.m. on August 2.

“This was a revolving door for our underage youth to purchase these products,” said NPD Chief Reuben J. Roach.

Store owner Jaswinder Singh, 42, of Norwich, was charged with two counts of first-degree unlawful dealing with a child and two counts of second-degree unlawful dealing with a child. Harminder Singh, 42, of Norwich, was also charged with one count of first-degree unlawful dealing with a child and one count of second-degree unlawful dealing with a child.

Roach said the two men arrested are not related.

According to The New York State Senate, unlawfully dealing with a child in the <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/260.20" target=”_blank”><u>first degree</u></a> covers the sale of alcohol to those under the age of 21, and the <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/260.21" target=”_blank”><u>second-degree</u></a> charge includes the sale of tobacco products to those under the age of 21.

Roach said the investigation began in June when a parent reported that their child, 16, and the child’s friends, who are around the same age, had been purchasing alcohol and tobacco from the A&R Smoke Shop.