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Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Walsh II announced Wednesday, July 10, that three individuals and five corporations that were involved in a year-long investigation into Rockland County smoke shops, said have pleaded guilty,
The investigation began on Monday, March 4, when the DA's Office, the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations, New York State agencies, and local police departments executed search warrants at seven locations in Rockland County, said Scott Waters, spokesman for the District Attorney's Office.
Search warrants were executed at two smoke shops in Clarkstown, two in Orangetown, and one in the village of Suffern, and additional search warrants were executed at a business and a private residence in Clarkstown, Waters said.
Waters said during the execution of the search warrants on the locations and bank accounts, more than $415,000 and 405 pounds of cannabis were seized from the five below-listed Zava stores and their bank accounts.
None of the Zava stores were licensed to sell cannabis in the state, the DA's Office said.
Pleading guilty to criminal tax fraud included:
- Ibrahim Alfalahi, age 36, of Nanuet
- Abdo Alquhshi, age 44, of Nyack,
- Sadek Alfalahi, age 29, of Nanuet
- Zava Lafayette Convenience Corp., Suffern
- Zava Candy Inc., Nanuet
- Zava Flow Inc., Nanuet
- Zava Central Convenience Corp., Pearl River
- Zava Smoke, Inc., aka Zava Convenient Store Inc., Pearl River
They will be sentenced in October.
“I commend Homeland Security Investigations, New York State Tax and Finance, New York State Office of Cannabis Management, and local police departments for their assistance in this case," Walsh said. "We will continue to work to ensure that all business in Rockland County is conducted lawfully. “
The following agencies were involved in the investigation: Rockland County District Attorney's Office:
- Homeland Security Investigations
- New York State Tax and Finance,
- New York State Office of Cannabis Management
- New York State Police
- Clarkstown
- Police Department
- Orangetown Police Department
- Suffern Police Department.
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