WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — Three Westmoreland County vape shops were named by the District Attorney in an ongoing criminal investigation.
“EZ Tobacco and Vape” in Delmont, “Vape and Smoke” in Hempfield Township and “The Vape Escape” in Latrobe are all accused of selling illegal products or legal products to underage buyers.
“They shouldn’t be selling to minors. I agree with that 100%,” Dawn Gabriel of Delmont said.
According to District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli, the investigation really started in the schools. Students in multiple districts were busted with THC vape pens and reported buying them from several locations, including these three.
Undercover officers were used to make a number of buys at the shops over the course of several months. According to the D.A., they were able to buy illegal substances including Delta 8 THC and high-concentration Delta 9 THC products. Detectives also bought pre-rolled joints that tested positive for marijuana.
At EZ Tobacco and Vape, detectives also found the operators were living in the building.
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said in a statement “To those who choose to sell these illegal products not only to adults, but to our youth, hear me now, we will continue to investigate and hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Channel 11 did reach out to all three shops and heard back from two of them.
The manager at Vape and Smoke City told us he’d have to consult with his attorney before releasing a statement. The manager at EZ Tobacco took our information and said he’d send a statement when he could.
People we spoke to said they are glad law enforcement is getting involved.
“It’s a good thing they are finally cracking down on them. I don’t think they should have them,” Gabriel said.
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