New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit to close Royalty Tobacco, a vape shop in Otsego County, after state investigators found repeated violations of public health laws, including selling flavored vapes to minors and operating without proper licenses.
The suit also seeks to permanently bar the shop’s owners, Eysa Sharhan and Ahmed Mozeb, from selling vapor products anywhere in New York and to recover profits from their illegal operations.
The Department of Health’s multi-year investigation uncovered a pattern: after previous stores run by Sharhan and Mozeb were shut down, the pair opened new shops under different names and at nearby locations.
- Pop-In Smoke & Vape was closed in early 2023 after selling flavored vapes and making repeated underage sales.
- Pufftopia, opened at the same location, was shut down in 2024 for illegal cannabis sales.
- Royalty Tobacco, just a mile away, has continued selling banned products despite citations.
State law prohibits the sale of flavored nicotine vapes and restricts all nicotine product sales to those over 21. Royalty Tobacco allegedly continued these practices, even after prior enforcement actions. The businesses have accumulated more than $195,000 in fines.
With this lawsuit, the state aims to stop what it describes as an ongoing pattern of defiance against laws designed to protect public health, particularly among young people.
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