New London — State investigators arrested a local convenience store owner Thursday for allegedly stocking his store with almost 200 cartons of untaxed cigarettes, according to local police.

Mehulkumar Patel, 37, of 18 Mary St., Waterford, was charged with second-degree forgery, possession of unstamped cigarettes, possession of fraudulent tax stamps and possession of untaxed tobacco.

Police said they noticed cigarettes without proper state tax stamps in the Quick Shop Mini Mart at 61 Walden Ave. while they were investigating a separate incident Wednesday.

They called in investigators with the state Department of Revenue Services – MSA Unit who then performed an unplanned inspection of the business.

According to police, the investigators found 194 cartons of untaxed cigarettes, about $3,000 in other untaxed tobacco products, more than $22,000 cash and about $100,000 in fraudulent Connecticut tobacco tax stamps.

Investigators learned Patel would purchase the tobacco products out of state and either reuse old tax stamps or print his own, police said.

Patel, who was released after posting a $10,000 nonsurety bond, is scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court Aug. 31.