The Marion County Sheriff’s Office recently carried out a compliance check on local merchants, to look for the sale of tobacco to minors. Twenty-six merchants were checked, and of those, 7 did sell tobacco to someone under the legal age of 18. When this happens, the employee that performs the transaction receives a simple misdemeanor citation for $200. After a guilty plea or a conviction of the offense, a civil citation is issued to the merchant holding the license to sell tobacco. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division partnered to carry out this check. Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholt says it underlines how important it is to check ID at the sale of tobacco or alcohol products.