The 22-year-old owner of a Tucson smoke shop was sentenced to four years probation and one year in jail Monday after pleading guilty to attempted trafficking in stolen property and illegally conducting an enterprise.
Aziz Duqmaq, who is eligible for work furlough, was also ordered by Pima County Superior Court Judge Frank Dawley to pay $10,000 to the Arizona Attorney General's Anti-Racketeering Fund.
According to police, Duqmaq and his brother, Karim Duqmaq, both 22, were arrested following an undercover operation launched last October.
Aziz Duqmaq, the owner of the AZ Smokeshop at 2624 N. First Ave., was arrested after police alleged he attempted to sell dozens of cartons and cases of cigarettes he thought had been stolen.
Police said Karim Duqmaq was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale and possessing a weapon in a drug offense after crack cocaine and marijuana packages were found at his store, the In-and-Out Mini Market at 2756 N. Stone Ave.
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Although Aziz Duqmaq was later indicted on 10 felony charges, Karim Duqmaq has never been indicted.
Aziz Duqmaq entered his guilty plea on Feb. 2 in exchange for the Arizona Attorney General's Office dropping eight other attempted trafficking charges and one count of sale of a narcotic drug.
Prosecutors agreed, as part of the plea agreement, to recommend probation and one year in jail for Aziz Duqmaq.
According to police, detectives started their undercover investigation after realizing an increasing number of cigarette products were being stolen from convenience stores.
Tucson police officials said that, during their investigation, undercover officers sold cigarettes eight times to the AZ Smokeshop and bought narcotics from the AZ Smokeshop and the In-and-Out Mini Market several times.
The undercover agents would sell the cigarettes to the store at below market value and the stores would sell them at retail price, police said.
Police also said the stores had begun to attract people looking for prostitutes or narcotics and people looking to sell stolen goods.
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