Smoke Shop Employee Arrested for Selling Flavored Vape Products to Minors

In a targeted operation aimed at curbing underage access to flavored vape products, Suffolk County Police arrested an employee of Cloud 9 Smoke Shoppe IV in Islip Terrace last night. The arrest is part of the department’s ongoing initiative dubbed “Operation Smoke Out.”

Officers from the Third Precinct Crime Section focused their investigation on multiple smoke shops within the Third Precinct area. During their surveillance of Cloud 9 Smoke Shoppe IV at 3277 Sunrise Highway North Service Road, an employee was observed selling a flavored vape to an underaged police intern around 8:25 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024.

The individual taken into custody was identified as Daniel Rosa, 21, residing at 63 Belford Ave., Bay Shore. Rosa faces charges including Unlawfully Dealing with a Child in the 2nd Degree and Sale of Flavored Products. He was issued a Field Appearance Ticket and is scheduled for arraignment at a later date.

The significant scale of the operation is evident from the seizure of approximately 12,000 flavored vape units by the Suffolk County Police Department Property Bureau from the shop. This confiscation underscores the extent of the issue and the authorities’ determination to address it.

A criminal charge is an accusation, and individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.