Suffolk County Police arrested eight people on Jan. 24 for allegedly selling marijuana products, vapes and e-cigarettes to minors in the Second Precinct. In response to numerous community complaints, Second Precinct Crime Section officers along with Community Support Unit officers conducted an investigation into the sale of marijuana products, vapes and e-cigarettes during which 20 businesses were checked for compliance with the law.
During the investigation, eight businesses were found to be selling marijuana products, vapes or ecigarettes to minors. Two of the businesses, Smoke Bazaar Smoke Shop N’ Vape, located at 526 Walt Whitman Road in Melville, and Smokeez Smoke Shop, located at 324 Larkfield Road in East Northport, had employees cited for selling vapes and e-cigarettes in 2022.
The following people were charged with Criminal Sale of Cannabis 3rd Degree, a misdemeanor:
Ak Serhat, 28, of Huntington, an employee of Smoke Bazaar Smoke Shop N’ Vape, located at 526 Walt Whitman Road in Melville.
Jefrey Mejia-Villeda, 23, of Jamaica, Queens, an employee of Smokeez Smoke Shop, located at 324 Larkfield Road in East Northport.
The following people were charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree, a misdemeanor:
Sajjad Hussain, 52, of Huntington, an employee of RK Cigar and Smoke, located at 824 East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station.
Somesh Dhawan, 35, of Hauppauge, an employee of Evolve Smoke Shop, located at 2066 Jericho Turnpike in East Northport.
Deepak Mehta, 43, of Bethpage, an employee of 76 Gas, located at 1714 New York Ave. in Huntington Station.
Arvindbhai Patel, 37, of Flushing, Queens, an employee of Jericho Beer & Smoke Convenience, located at 1058 East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington.
Charles Spinella, 20, of Kings Park, an employee of Legacy Smoke Shop, located at 39 Larkfield Road in East Northport.
A 17-year-old female employee of Nirvana Vape Smoke, located at 1153A East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington
All arrestees will appear in court on a later date. Compliance checks were conducted at 12 other businesses in the Second Precinct with no violations found. Five of those 12 businesses had been cited for violations in 2022.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
