Suffolk County Police arrested five people Sunday for selling flavored vape products to people under the age of 21 during compliance checks at multiple businesses in the Sixth Precinct.
In response to community complaints, Sixth Precinct Investigative Unit officers checked 18 businesses for compliance with laws related to the sale of tobacco products and arrested employees at five stores.
The following people were charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree:
• Tirth Prakash Shah, 29, of Syosset, an employee of GasCon, located at 443 Middle Country Road, Coram
• Steylon Ventura-Santos, 32, of Coram, an employee of Chico’s Smoke Shop, located at 3663-5 Route 112, Medford
• Chaman Joshi, 63, of Coram, an employee of Sunoco Gas, located at 3423 Route 112, Coram
• Yousef Islam, 35, of Centereach, an employee of USA Gas, located at 3173 Route 112, Medford
• Mehmet Kurt, 24, of Port Jefferson, an employee of Puff Club Smoke Shop, located at 1879 Route 112, Coram
All five individuals were issued Desk Appearance Tickets and are scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.