POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A sales clerk at a smoke shop in Davenport was taken into custody on Tuesday after deputies alleged she sold kratom to a 15-year-old during a compliance check.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, 29-year-old Kenisha Fowler, an employee at Skywalker Smoke Shop on California Boulevard, faces a charge of selling kratom to a person under 21 years of age, a second-degree misdemeanor.
The arrest was made during “Operation Pop Top,” a recurring initiative in which deputies check whether businesses are following age-restriction laws. The operation uses a person under 21, often a member of the Sheriff’s Office Cadet 1000 program, to attempt purchases of restricted items such as alcohol or kratom.
Authorities said the 15-year-old involved in Tuesday’s operation is part of the cadet program, which gives high school students interested in law enforcement an opportunity to assist with certain supervised activities.
During the operation, deputies visited three smoke shops and eight convenience stores in Davenport. Officials stated that none of the convenience stores sold alcohol to the minor, and two smoke shops declined to sell kratom.
Sheriff Grady Judd stated that although kratom is still legal in Florida, selling it to anyone under 21 is prohibited. He mentioned that routine checks are conducted to ensure businesses comply with the law.
“In this case, one sales clerk failed the test,” Judd said.
The investigation is part of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s ongoing efforts to enforce age restrictions and prevent underage access to regulated substances.
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