Crestwood store owner charged with selling ‘urine kits’ to beat drug tests

The owner of a south suburban tobacco store has been charged with selling “synthetic urine kits,” which police say are used to beat drug tests.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Police Special Operations Unit got a tip that the kits were being sold at Tobacco Land Plus in the 13400 block of South Cicero Avenue in Crestwood, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

The kits, designed to provide clean urine to “defraud drug and alcohol tests, are illegal in Illinois, according to police.

Undercover sheriff’s officers posed as customers and found the kits, with a brand name of “UPass,” in the store, on Monday. THe officers bounght one of the kits, and arrested the store owner when the sale was complete.

Taher Yousef, 56, is charged with a manufacture, selling or giving a synthetic or human substance with the intent of defrauding drug or alcohol screening test, a Class 4 felony, police said.

The Crestwood resident is scheduled to appear in bond court Tuesday in Bridgeview.