Speakers sound off at Hampton city council meeting about undercover cigarette sting

Tempers flared Wednesday night before the city council meeting in Hampton.

They were upset over millions of dollars spent during a huge undercover cigarette sting where no one was arrested.

The Daily Press reports police created a fake company as part of the operation in hopes of cracking down on illegal cigarette trafficking.

People didn’t hold back with their three cents for city leaders.

The Daily Press reports city council never signed off on the 19-month operation.

At one point, the Daily Press reports, one speaker, former state delegate Tom Gear was repeatedly asking the mayor what she knew about this undercover operation.

She did not answer his questions and once Gear had exceeded the allotted time for public speakers and he kept asking questions, two officers escorted him out of council chambers.