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Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced Friday, June 21, the busts after raids of seven smoke shops in Rockland County.
According to Scott Waters, spokesman for the Rockland County District Attorney's Office, the investigations began in March with help from Homeland Security, local police, and other state agencies.
The warrants were executed at two smoke shops in Clarkstown, two in Orangetown, and one in the Village of Suffern. Waters said additional search warrants were executed at a business and a private residence in Clarkstown.
Waters said during the execution of the search warrants, more than $400,000 and over 170 pounds of marijuana were seized from five Zava stores. None of the Zava stores were licensed to sell cannabis in the state of New York.
Arrested during the raids including:
- Ibrahim Alfalahi, age 36, of Nanuet, was charged with one count of criminal tax fraud in the third degree and five counts of criminal tax fraud in the second degree.
- Abdo Alquhshi, age 44, of Nyack, was charged with one count of criminal tax fraud.
- Sadek Alfalahi, age 29, of Nanuet, was charged with one count of criminal tax fraud.
- Fateh Ahmed Alhajjaji, age 36, of Nanuet, was charged with one count of criminal tax fraud.
- Zava Lafayette Convenience Corp., 28 Lafayette Ave., Suffern, charged with criminal tax fraud.
- Zava Candy Inc., 214 Smith Rd., Nanuet, charged with one count of criminal tax fraud.
- Zava Flow Inc., 38-40 N. Middletown Rd., Nanuet, charged with one count of criminal tax fraud.
- Zava Central Convenience Corp., 46 E. Central Ave., Pearl River, charged with one count of criminal tax fraud.
- Zava Smoke, Inc., aka Zava Convenient Store Inc., Pearl River, charged with one count of criminal tax fraud.
The investigation started after allegations of smoke shops selling cannabis to minors, said Walsh.
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