Law enforcement arrested three men in Queens and Long Island involved in trademark counterfeiting over $1 million in vape products last week.
Search warrants across Nassau and Suffolk Counties resulted in the arrests of 58-year-old Ali Ashgar and 33-year-old Ali Zar of East Meadow and 35-year-old Bellerose resident Ali Moosa on July 1. Cops confiscated approximately $140,000 in U.S. currency and $1.5 million of counterfeit vaping products.
The suspects are charged with trademark counterfeiting in the first degree which is a class C felony in New York State. Class C felonies are punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison and $5,000 in fees or double the amount defendants made by committing the crime.
Members of the Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Patrol and the NYPD had search warrants for the following locations:
- 879 Fams Court, East Meadow (private residence)
- 246-68 87th Ave., Bellerose (private residence)
- 194 East Meadow Ave., East Meadow (private residence)
- 172-A Gardiners Ave., Levittown (CardSmart store)
- 1918 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow (CardSmart store)
- 194 East Meadow Ave., East Meadow (Smoke and Vape store)
- 18 Veterans Memorials Highway, Commack (CardSmart store)
All suspects were arraigned on Friday, Aug. 2 at First District Court in Hempstead.
