VACAVILLE (KRON) — Federal prosecutors say a Bay Area business owner was using his clothing store to cover up selling drugs to high schoolers.

School crossing signs are posted at the intersection where federal prosecutors allege a retail store owner targeted Vacaville’s Will C. Wood high school students for drug sales.

Vacaville police took a photo of the arrested owner, Maurice Jefferson, and a photo of his alleged cocaine and marijuana stash as well as a firearm.

It is all now evidence in a federal indictment against him.

The store, named Shredders Federation, produced an online advertisement five years ago. 

But investigators say one close look inside, and it was clear the store’s clothing wasn’t what people were buying.

Court documents read, the “claim he sells $12,000-$13,000 of merchandise at Shredders Federation each month…is dubious…”

“Top layers of clothing stacked in the men’s store had dust on them, as did the shelves…little merchandise appeared to move,” court documents also said.

Neighboring business owner Chuck Donaldson has been at the Vacaville strip location for a decade.

“Honest to God, I never saw anybody walk in or out of that store,” business owner Chuck Donaldson said. “I never paid attention to that store.”

Vacaville police first arrested Jefferson a year ago after investigating an anonymous tip he was using the location to launder money.

Now, the feds want to prosecute.

“If you are so unfortunate as to be convicted, the sentences can be drastically different,” attorney Mark Reichel said. “There can be a gigantic disparity between the federal sentence that you get for conviction for something like this and the state sentence you would get.”

An alleged drug dealer was setting up shop by a local school.

If convicted, the suspect faces a $20 million fine and up to 60 years in prison.WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:

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