Oriental Grocery owner arrested on multiple charges

Indiana State Excise Police arrested a Bloomington store owner for several drug and alcohol charges Wednesday.

Excise police are a division of the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, which enforces all Indiana laws related to alcohol and tobacco sales.

Liling Jia, 60, owner of Obo’s Oriental Grocery Store at 2556 E. Third St., was arrested as a result of an investigation started in January stemming from an anonymous complaint.

On Feb. 4, excise police searched the store with a warrant. They found various brands of untaxed liquor, cigarettes and various medicines, all manufactured in China, according to ISEP.

Jia had a tobacco certificate but was not licensed to sell alcohol or medication.

“The illegal sale of alcoholic beverages, especially those that are not manufactured in this country, pose a significant risk to the health and well-being of Indiana citizens,”
ISEP Superintendent Matt Strittmatter said. “It also makes their accessibility to minors more prevalent.”

Jia faces preliminary charges of unlawful sale of a prescription drug, a class D felony; maintaining a common nuisance for prescription drug, a class D felony; maintaining a common nuisance: alcohol, a class D felony; sale of alcoholic beverage without a permit, a class B misdemeanor; sale of untaxed alcoholic beverages, a class C misdemeanor and sale of cigarettes without an Indiana tax stamp, a class C misdemeanor.

Jia was released Wednesday at 2:54 p.m. after posting $5,000 surety and $500 cash bond.

Dennis Barbosa