Suffolk County, NY - February 12, 2018 - Suffolk County Police have arrested five people for selling vaping products including e-nicotine to persons under the age of 21 years-old at businesses in West Islip, Bay Shore and Brentwood, New York.
In response to community complaints, Third Precinct Crime Section officers conducted an investigation into the sale of e-liquid nicotine. Six locations were checked for compliance.
The following five clerks were arrested and charged with violating the Suffolk County Code regulating the sale of E-Cigarettes, which included liquid e-nicotine:
- Joseph Attallah, 21, of West Islip, employed at House of Glass, located at 777 Udall Road West Islip, New York
- Navjit Singh, 26, of Ozone Park, New York, employed at OK Gas, located at 221 West Main Street, Bay Shore, New York
- Warnakulasuriya Kumara Fernando, 44, of Bay Shore, New York, employed at Valero, located at 1692 Union Blvd., Bay Shore, New York
- Gokhan Kilinc, 39, of Islip, New York, employed at Shamrock, located at 645 East Main Street Bay Shore, New York
- Cindy Arrue, 22, of Brentwood, New York, employed at Cloud 9 Smoke Shoppe, located at 128 Heyward Street Brentwood, New York
The following business complied, and refused the sale of e-liquid nicotine to minors:
- Husco Vape Shop, 736 Main Street, Islip, New York
Investigators recovered 17 possible imitation designer belts at Cloud 9 Smoke Shoppe and a counterfeit investigation is ongoing.
The five people arrested are scheduled to be arraigned 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.