LEXINGTON, KY (Thursday, March 5, 2020) – Circle K, a Texas corporation that operates convenience stores nationwide, has agreed to resolve civil allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a federal law that requires retailers of pseudoephedrine to place the product so that customers do not have direct access to it and to keep a logbook of sales, agreeing to pay $248,000.
According to the CSA, retailers are required to place pseudoephedrine in places where the customer does not have direct access before the sale is made and to deliver the product directly into the custody of the purchaser. The CSA further requires Circle K to maintain a logbook of sales, including for each transaction: the name of the product, the quantity sold, the name and address of the purchaser, and the date and time of the transaction. The prospective purchaser must also present identification and sign the logbook to lawfully complete the transaction. Each logbook entry must be accessible and maintained for at least two years following the sale.
The United States alleged that, on November 1, 2018, Circle K Store #3253, located in London, Kentucky, knowingly or recklessly maintained “Pseudo Ephed Plus” in front of the retail sales counter; failed to deliver the product directly into the custody of a customer; failed to require a customer to present identification; and failed to require a customer to sign the logbook.
The United States further alleged that 48 Circle K stores negligently failed to maintain a logbook of “Pseudo Ephed Plus.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Melton and Christine Corndorf represented the United States. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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