The owner of an unlicensed cannabis store in Bay Ridge has been ordered to pay $6 million in penalties for operating illegally and ignoring repeated warnings from authorities, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday.
Big Chief Smoke Shop, located at the corner of 74th Street and Third Avenue, was shut down in December 2023 after a court order was issued against the business for selling cannabis and related products without a license. The shop had been operating illegally for over a year, defying multiple violation notices from the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and law enforcement.
On Feb. 12, James announced that her office secured a judgment against the owner of Big Chief, saying they had “brazenly violated the law and disrupted the local community.”
The judgment, issued by Hon. Rupert Barry, requires the owner to pay nearly $5.9 million in penalties for selling cannabis without a license and continuing to do so after being ordered by OCM to stop, $121,000 in disgorgement of illegal profits, and $44,000 in costs and attorney’s fees.
“Rules and regulations, especially over the cannabis industry, are designed to protect New York consumers and keep neighborhoods safe,” Attorney General James said in a statement. “Big Chief Smoke Shop ignored repeated warnings to stop operating without a license, and instead they kept their doors open, putting New Yorkers at risk. Hopefully, this judgment will serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can ignore our laws and endanger our communities.”
Big Chief first opened in November 2022 and quickly became a source of frustration for the local community. Residents and officials, including Council Member Justin Brannan, repeatedly called for the shop’s closure. Brannan said the illegal store generated more complaints to his office than any other establishment in his district since he took office in 2018.
“Of all the unlicensed cannabis operators who worked to undermine the rollout of the legalized cannabis industry in New York, Big Chief was one of the worst bad actors I’ve seen,” said Brannan following the ruling. “Beyond endangering their customers and our community by selling untaxed, unregulated, and illegal products, they were bad neighbors who hosted illegal activity, frequently trashed the area outside their premises, and blatantly mocked and provoked residents, elected officials, and law enforcement in the press.”
In August 2023, OCM and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance conducted an inspection at Big Chief and found the shop was still selling cannabis flower, concentrates, vapes, edibles, and pre-rolled joints without a license. Investigators seized 161 pounds of cannabis flower, 137 pounds of cannabis-infused products, 108 pounds of concentrated cannabis, and 60 pounds of pre-rolled cannabis. OCM issued a violation notice and ordered the shop to cease operations, but the business continued to operate.
Two months later, OCM inspectors returned to find the warning notices they had posted on the shop’s windows covered up. The store was still selling cannabis, leading to the seizure of an additional 200 pounds of illicit products and another violation notice.
In December 2023, the Office of the Attorney General and OCM obtained a court order mandating the closure of Big Chief, ending its illegal operations.
