State Gets Order To Halt Candy Sales

The Washington Attorney General’s office has obtained a restraining order against a man who allegedly used children and teens to sell candy for a false purpose in Spokane and elsewhere.

Furqan Mehmood Mian, of Boise, is cited in a criminal complaint for selling boxes of candy under the pretense that proceeds would go to a youth organization to keep kids off drugs and out of gangs.

It was actually a for-profit venture, the Attorney General’s office said in its complaint. For the $5 boxes, Mian offered children a $1 or $1.50 commission per box sold, said Owen Clarke, assistant attorney general. The operation has been ongoing for about a year in Spokane, the Tri-Cities, Boise, and Reno, Nev., Clarke said.

Mian conducted business under at least six different business names, all of which imply associations with youth groups, Clarke said. In Spokane, Clarke said, Mian typically recruited 6 to 15 children to sell door-to-door in each neighborhood.

Clarke said a hearing has been scheduled Aug. 27 in Spokane County Superior Court. The complaint, which is a civil proceeding under the Washington Consumer Protection Act, could result in restitution being paid or a $2,000 fine for each sale, Clarke said. Mian also will be cited for child labor law violations, he said.

The Idaho Attorney General’s office is aware of Mian, but is not pursuing any charges against him, Clarke said.