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MPR News Staff

Owner of Minnesota candy store charged with selling liquor-filled candy without a license

A sign reads "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store"
Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store is located along U.S. Highway 169 between Jordan and Belle Plaine, southwest of the Twin Cities.
File | photo by Hannah Marie Photography, courtesy of Renee Wagner

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The bright yellow store is a familiar sight for travelers along U.S. Highway 169 between the Twin Cities and Mankato. Charges filed last month allege the store sold liquor-filled candy without a liquor license.

The owner of the landmark Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store near Jordan faces charges after allegedly stocking and selling liquor-filled candy without a liquor license.

Robert Wagner, 66, of Belle Plaine, was charged last month in Scott County court with one gross misdemeanor count of selling liquor without a license or permit.

Wagner’s bright yellow store is a familiar sight for travelers along U.S. Highway 169 between the Twin Cities and Mankato.

According to the criminal complaint:

Over the summer, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division received an anonymous tip that the store was selling alcohol-filled candies, “and sold some to a minor child without checking the minor’s ID.” Authorities determined the business did not have a license to sell alcoholic beverages.

In late July, agents conducted an undercover operation and found a section of the store dedicated to candy containing alcohol, some with packaging stating it was unlawful to sell to people who are underage.

The agents allegedly purchased some of those items, including:

  • chocolate-covered brandy cherries with a 7.3 percent concentration of brandy

  • chocolate with a whiskey syrup center that was 3.58 percent alcohol by volume

The agents allegedly observed that there was no separate procedure for purchasing candy containing alcohol, compared to candy without alcohol.

A few hours later, agents executed a search warrant at the store and met with Wagner. He allegedly told the agents that the candy store did not have a license, that he was aware of the liquor-filled candy in stock, and that he believed the store could sell them.

Wagner was charged by summons and is set to make an initial court appearance in December.