Avast ye scurvy scallywags! Thar be news from the landlubber Manhattan DA Bragg! Illegal pot shops be gettin' a right ol' smackdown, with a fine over $400K for one sorry store owner!
2023-07-18
Arr, ye scurvy knave Rami Alzandani be coughin' up a mighty sum o'er $400,000 doubloons fer peddlin' the devil's weed at 11 dens o' iniquity! The grand poobah Alvin Bragg be givin' him a taste o' justice, aye!
In a humorous 17th-century pirate language, matey, listen up! A savvy entrepreneur from New York City has been caught in the clutches of the law for illegally peddling marijuana in a dozen shops across Manhattan. Arrr! The scurvy dog, Rami Alzandani, has been slapped with a hefty punishment, requiring him to cough up over $400,000 in taxes and illicit sales proceeds. This be part of a grand crackdown on the thousands of unlicensed operations that be runnin' amok in the city.But hold yer horses, me hearties! The Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced that this rascal won't be facin' litigation, thanks to a non-prosecution agreement. He can still keep his shops open, but he's forbidden from sellin' any more of that devil's lettuce. The state of New York's Office of Cannabis Management has granted over 250 licenses to honest entrepreneurs who want to peddle cannabis legally, in all its shapes and forms, from edibles to vapes.
As for Alzandani, he must pay a hefty sum of $103,000 to the state Department of Tax and Finance for restitution. On top of that, he needs to forfeit an additional $300,000 in ill-gotten gains, as declared by the district attorney's office. Just last month, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the seizure of a staggering $11 million worth of illegal products from 33 unlicensed stores in various parts of New York City. The governor has even proposed legislation to further crack down on these unlawful pot shops.
Ever since recreational marijuana was legalized in New York two years back, only a handful of licensed stores have opened their doors, allowin' these rogue establishments to flourish. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg claims that public safety is in jeopardy with the rampant proliferation of unlicensed and unregulated weed shops. His office is actively pursuing other criminal investigations and is even in talks with landlords to kick these miscreants to the curb. So, ye mischievous pirates better beware, or the long arm of the law will surely come after ye!