AG James secured $6 million judgment against the owner of Big Chief Smoke Shop (Big Chief), an unlicensed cannabis store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Big Chief sold cannabis for more than a year without a license and ignored repeated orders by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and other law enforcement authorities to stop operating without a license. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and OCM obtained a judicial closing order that shut down Big Chief in December 2023. This judgment requires Big Chief’s 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 $44K 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. 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. My office secured a $6 million judgment against the owners of Big Chief Smoke Shop for brazenly violating the law and disrupting the local community. Hopefully this judgment will serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can ignore our laws and endanger our communities.”- AG James