Smokedale Tobacco Shop — Attraction in Oakdale

To my fellow connoisseurs of Glass Art: If you want to be taken seriously and treated civilly - AVOID THIS SHOP!

Today myself and two other friends visited the Super Smokedale Oakdale location and left gravely disappointed. We had a great time looking around the shop and were impressed with the abundant selection. However, upon asking the employees for help, we were treated downright disrespectfully.

Personally, I was interested in seeing an item from a locked glass case featuring works by Twisted Glass. At first, the young man I asked to open the case complied and went in search for the keys. He never returned. I told another employee (an older man) that I was ready to look at the items in the case. He looked me up and down from head-to-toe and informed me that all the items in said case were, “Over 200$.” Without hesitation I said, “Ok.” I was very interested in one piece, regardless of the price. It then took the old man no less than 20 minutes to find the keys and open the case. The whole while, he was making judgmental comments, directed towards me. At one point, he even reached out and grabbed my arm. It was at that moment that I went from upset, to feeling my blood boil.

When he finally got it open, he stood aside and told me, “You break it, you buy it.” I was immediately put off. So, nothing in there is less than 200$, but you’re not even going to get the item out, or get a velvet matt to rest it on so that I can look at it?! Ok. Fine. I was that interested. I got down on my hands and knees and pulled the glass piece out of the case. Which, guess what?! It was priced at 99$, not “Over 200$,” like the employee had stated. It was also covered in a layer of dust.

I asked the man about one more item in another glass case, before I completely lost my cool and had to leave the shop. When I was walking out, red-faced and flustered, he asked me, “So, did you buy anything?” I said, “No,” and kept walking. Behind me as I was walking out the door, my friends and I heard him say, “I didn’t think you would.”

I feel bad for Twisted Glass, because their work is amazing and I was too pissed off to support the shop hosting it. I certainly hope they don’t pay a consignment fee, because their work isn’t being properly displayed, or taken seriously.

So, here’s to you, Super Smokedale Oakdale! I left your location and went five minutes down the road to The Hideaway, where my friends and I collectively spent several hundred dollars. Not only were their employee’s patient and kind, but they helped me find the perfect product and support our local...

Oakdale business owner sentenced for felony drug charge Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/25/2017 - 12:20pm

Hatem Younis An Oakdale business owner who pleaded guilty to fourth-degree drug charges related to one of his stores was sentenced April 12 to three years probation.

Last year, 45-year-old Hatem Amin Younis, who owns Smokedale Tobacco in Oakdale, was charged with three felony drug counts primarily related to the possession and alleged sale of synthetic drugs.

Eventually, two of the three charges were dropped, and Younis pleaded guilty to fourth-degree possession and intent to sell Schedule 1, Schedule 2 and Schedule 3 drugs.

Beyond his Oakdale store, Younis has stores in Minneapolis, Anoka and Big Lake, Minnesota, as well as Hudson and Menomonie, Wisconsin. His businesses remained open throughout the case.

Police investigations of Younis spanned almost four years. According to a criminal complaint, in August 2012 law enforcement began investigating Younis after learning the Oakdale Smokedale Tobacco store allegedly sold the synthetic hallucinogen implicated in a teenager’s death.

A 2013 Drug Enforcement Agency raid of multiple Smokedale stores and Younis’ Afton home resulted in thousands of seized items, some of which tested positive for synthetic hallucinogens and stimulants. Detectives also reportedly interviewed informants who claimed to have purchased synthetic marijuana, synthetic hallucinogens and synthetic stimulants from the Oakdale Smokedale and from Younis directly.

The Office of Diversion Control website states that synthetic stimulants can cause serious reactions including hallucinations, delusions, suicidal thoughts, violent outbursts and death. The website also states that even a small amount of synthetic hallucinogens can cause seizures, cardiac and respiratory arrest and death.

Beyond Younis’ three years of probation, he was fined $200 and given a stay of adjudication, which means that so long as he does not violate his probation there will be no conviction on his permanent record.

Will not...

ATTENTION everyone who reads: WATCH THE CASH REGISTER WINDOW AS THESE CROOKS RING UP YOUR ITEMS!!!! second time they have ripped me off a significant amount of money. This time, about 45 bucks. What the old men do is just jack up prices by a few bucks when they ring in items. Notice on the receipt that it doesn't say any name or catagory. That way if u bring in your receipt it proves nothing. My friend and I went in and a younger guy helped us. I ended up getting around 200 bucks worth of stuff. We purchased a large glass item. The worker seemed to be interested in my friend so he said we could have 20 bucks off the 130. I'm like awesome. By the time we were checking out it was almost closing. A old man came in to close. He bumped the kid away and started ringing us up. I was distracted and I thought my friend was keeping track so by the time I realized how much xtra we paid it was in the parking lot and they were gone!! He not only charged me full price for the item, he tacked on another 10 bucks as well!! Then charging us a higher price on three small items and making up 2 we didn't even buy. 45 bucks worth. I wondered why they rushed out of the building and sped away while I was still getting in my truck!! Lol I bet they were lol ing at me!!! Anyway, lesson learned!! Hope this helps...