Employees of a smoke shop in Southern California arrested for allegedly selling drugs and organizing illegal gambling

A suspect was arrested after Riverside police said he sold drugs, arranged illegal gambling and sold tobacco to underage customers at a local tobacco shop.

Authorities said they received several complaints about possible illegal activity at the DTOWN Smoke Shop in downtown Riverside.

According to Riverside PD, the investigation uncovered an illegal gambling operation that impacted nearby businesses.

Investigators obtained a search warrant and entered the business on May 9, where they discovered illegal gambling and drug sales.

A store employee allegedly had cocaine and an illegal firearm in his possession and was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of sale and weapons violations.

No further information about the suspect was provided.

Anyone with additional information regarding this specific case or the other divisions is asked to contact the Riverside Police Vice Unit at [email protected].

Those wishing to remain anonymous can download the Riverside Police Department’s Atlas 1 mobile app and use the “Send Message” feature to send us the information. Our mobile app can be downloaded on APPLE or ANDROID.