Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz has announced the forceful closure of six unauthorized cannabis storefronts in the borough, a crackdown resulting from a coordinated law enforcement venture named "Operation Weed Whacker." In a statement obtained by the Queens District Attorney's Office, Katz expressed that these illegal businesses not only impinge on the territory of lawful commerce but also jeopardize the wellbeing of communities by vending untested products, particularly to the youth.
The prolonged operation involved undercover purchases and concluded with four arrests as well as the confiscation of a substantial amount of illegal substances—including 130 pounds of cannabis flower and considerable quantities of vapes and edibles; the six locations were symbolically padlocked from the mid of July to August 14, signaling their operational cessation. Among those arrested is Mahmud Hossain, 24, charged with first-degree criminal possession of cannabis and potentially facing up to seven years in prison if convicted; this individual, rooted in Queens Village, is anticipated to reappear before the court come September 4.
Also amongst the apprehended were Michael Deblasio, 32, of Woodhaven, and Hemyar Naji, 34 of Brooklyn, who were charged with second-degree criminal possession of cannabis, their outcomes dangling on future court dates disclosed by the Queens District Attorney's Office. Yet another individual, whose name has not been divulged, received a desk appearance ticket on August 14; these coordinated efforts underscore a larger municipality's endeavor to sanitize Queens of unlawful dispensaries, a mission persisting since November 2022 and cataloging the prosecution of 445 individuals for related felonies.
Assistant District Attorney Shanon LaCorte, alongside a team under various levels of supervision, spearheaded the investigative wing of this undertaking; 310 illegal storefronts in Queens have been shuttered since July of the prior year, courtesy of a collaborative campaign involving the New York City Sheriff's Office and the NYPD, marks a determined stance by law enforcement against the proliferation of such unregulated establishments as detailed in the Queens District Attorney’s Office release. The legal procession of the cases falls under the auspices of Assistant District Attorneys Samantha Tighe and Jared Brady, watched over by higher echelons of the Queens District Attorney’s office, a hierarchy set to maintain the judicial course is as steadfast as the front-line initiative against these illegal operations.
