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• L.A. company agrees to stop processing online tobacco sales in Idaho, elsewhere  

An electronic payments processor has agreed to stop handling transactions for the illegal online sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden's said.

Wasden and the attorneys general of New York and California reached the settlement with Electronic Clearing House, Inc. of Los Angeles -- often called "ECHO.".

"Online tobacco retailers are a major source for young people to buy cigarettes illegally," Wasden said in a release. "Stopping the illegal sale of cigarettes, especially to minors, is a major step in protecting public health. ECHO has acted responsibly in agreeing to stop processing payments for these illegal sales, and we hope other companies and banks involved in online tobacco sales will follow their lead."

The three states began an investigation of ECHO following a lawsuit Wasden brought against Scott Maybee, one of the highest volume Internet cigarette sellers, Wasden's office said. Maybee was ordered to pay Idaho more than $160,000 for illegal Internet sales of millions of cigarettes into Idaho.

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