MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Randolph Police Department Chief Keith Donovan, Boonton Police Chief Chris Petonak, Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano, Roxbury Police Chief Matthew Holland, Denville Police Chief Scott Welsch, and Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Chief Richard Pantina announced that several defendants have been charged in connection with a multi-agency investigation targeting smoke shops in Boonton, Montville Township, Randolph Township, and Roxbury Township.
The investigation was conducted in furtherance of the New Jersey Attorney General’s initiative targeting smoke shops that sell illegal flavored vapes, intoxicating hemp products, and marijuana.
Agencies involved in the investigation included the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Special Operations Division, the Randolph Township Police Department, the Boonton Police Department, the Montville Township Police Department, the Roxbury Police Department, the Denville Township Police Department, the Parsippany Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, Morris County Weights and Measures, the Morris County Division of Health, and personnel from local municipal health departments.
Beginning in April 2026, investigators focused on four stores in Boonton, one store in Montville, two stores in Randolph Township, and four stores in Roxbury Township that were selling marijuana, intoxicating hemp products including tetrahydrocannabinol vapes, and illegally flavored vapes without a license or permit to operate as cannabis dispensaries.
On July 1, 2026, eleven search warrants were executed simultaneously at the businesses, as well as at a residence and a vehicle. The following items were seized as evidence:
- 17,323 tobacco flavored vapes
- 56,699 units of tetrahydrocannabinol vapes, approximately 125.5 pounds
- 328 pounds of gummies and edibles
- 16.5 pounds of marijuana
- Approximately 100 canisters of nitrous oxide
- $45,265.32 in currency
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed if appropriate.
The following individuals were charged in connection with the investigation:
Vape Waves Smoke Shop, 440 Main Road, Montville Township
Dhafer Ghaleb, owner, and Ali Alsaydi, employee, were each charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, unlawful possession of toxic chemicals inhaled to cause intoxication, and unlawful possession of toxic chemicals for sale for the purpose of intoxication.
True Blaze Smoke Shop/Wah Wah 2 Smoke Shop LLC, 504 Myrtle Avenue, Boonton
Firas Damra and Madhat Abunasser, owner, were each charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. David Grzesiak, employee, was charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Green Lux Smoke Shop, Roxbury Township
Sandra Porras was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Green Lux Smoke Shop, 974 Tabor Road, Parsippany
Ashley Naranjo Belaczar, employee, was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.
Crown Cigar & Smoke, 131 Hawkins Place, Boonton
Srinivasa Koppisetti, owner, was charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, unlawful possession of toxic chemicals inhaled to cause intoxication, and unlawful possession of toxic chemicals for sale for the purpose of intoxication.
Heritage Marketplace, 1272 Sussex Turnpike, Randolph Township
Goktan Ozdemir, manager, and Levent Unal, employee, were each charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances and possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.
MK Mini Mart, 760 Route 46, Roxbury Township
Devinder Singh, owner, Amit Pundir, employee, and Dinesh Chander, employee, were each charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, unlawful possession of toxic chemicals for sale for the purpose of intoxication, unlawful possession of toxic chemicals inhaled to cause intoxication, possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Sweet Dreams, Roxbury Township
Anthony Castro, employee, was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
M&S Convenience & Cigar, 707 Main Street, Boonton
Mead Almontaser, owner, was charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, unlawful possession of toxic chemicals for sale for the purpose of intoxication, unlawful possession of toxic chemicals inhaled to cause intoxication, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance involving psilocybin, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance involving psilocybin under one ounce.
Stardust Smoke Shop, 1206 Sussex Turnpike, Randolph Township
Jigarkumar Patel, Riya Patel, and Meet Patel, all part-owners, were each charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, money laundering, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance involving psilocybin, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance involving psilocybin under one ounce.
Search warrants were also executed at Smoke & Deli in Boonton, which resulted in a written warning being issued for a first offense of offering for sale less than one ounce of marijuana. No charges were filed against that business.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said, “I acknowledge and thank all the agencies who participated in this investigation to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sale of marijuana, intoxicating hemp, and illegal flavored vapes from these businesses operating in our communities. The scale of the operation could not have been accomplished without the professional men and women involved, including detectives, assistant prosecutors, and civilians, who worked collaboratively to make this operation a success.”
Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano, past president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, said, “This operation represents months of coordinated work between county and municipal law enforcement, health officials, and prosecutors to address a problem that has been hiding in plain sight in our neighborhoods. Smoke shops that sell unlicensed marijuana, intoxicating hemp products, and illegally flavored vapes are not harmless corner stores — they are unregulated points of sale for products that our laws were specifically designed to control, whether because of their appeal to young people, their lack of any safety testing, or their connection to untaxed and unlicensed markets.”
Collingswood Police Chief Kevin Carey, president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, said, “The volume of contraband recovered on July 1 — tens of thousands of vape products, hundreds of pounds of edibles and marijuana, and tens of thousands of dollars in cash — makes clear that this was not a handful of isolated infractions. It was a pattern of businesses operating outside the licensing and public health framework that New Jersey has put in place for cannabis and hemp products, and profiting from it. I want to be clear that this is not the end of this work. Police chiefs across New Jersey will keep working with our municipal partners to identify and act on businesses that put profit ahead of the safety of our residents and children.”
The prosecution of the defendants will be handled by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Erin Callahan and Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Kelly.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
