Tobacco Shop Owner Wants Tinley Park Man to Stop Taking Free Cigars: Cops

A Tinley Park man charged with theft and banned from a tobacco shop for stealing cigars “did not see the problem” with taking free stogies, police said.

The owner of #1 Tobacco on 183rd Drive had complained to police that a “regular customer for the past three years” dropped by the store and “took two cigars from his establishment,” police said.

A #1 Tobacco employee went on to tell the police she watched 51-year-old Jeffrey Kennedy “enter the humidor room and put a cigar in his pocket,” according to a report. The owner also said “the last few times Kennedy came into the business he witnessed him put cigars in his pocket and leave the store without paying.”

A Tinley Park police officer then watched surveillance video showing Kennedy pocket two cigars worth a total of $20 and leave the store after only paying for a $4 cigar, the report said.

The store owner did not know Kennedy’s name but copied down the license plate of his black BMW and gave it to an officer, police said.

The police reportedly reached Kennedy by phone and he agreed to stop in at the station. When he got there last week, Kennedy told officers “he knows (the store owner) and his brother personally,” police said.

“Kennedy stated that he often gets ‘buy one get one free’ cigars so he did not see the problem,” police said. “Kennedy stated that he did take one cigar from #1 Tobacco without paying for it because he only had $5 in his wallet.”

The police still charged Kennedy with retail theft and told him “he will be arrested if he returns to the business.”

Go take a look at our Facebook page.