A Long Island-based vape company has been permanently shut down following a lawsuit filed by the city over its nationwide sales of flavored e-cigarettes, according to a consent order filed Thursday in federal court.
The agreement, signed May 15 and filed in federal court May 22, requires Price Point, based in Farmingdale, to cease all operations selling flavored disposable vapes and prohibits the company from future sales into NYC.
The vape seller operated online as pricepointny.com and sold the products banned under city law, which are also widely used by teens. The company and its operators, Weis Khwaja and Hamza Jalili, also face a $1,000 fine for each future violation of the settlement, according to the order.
“For years, we have said that we will do everything in our power to stem the flow of illegal and harmful products into our city, especially to our youngest New Yorkers,” Mayor Eric Adams said, reacting to the agreement, which he described as “yet another victory in our successful campaign to protect New Yorkers against illegal vape distributors and their efforts to push illegal products on our most vulnerable populations.”
The consent order, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, resolves a civil enforcement suit Mayor Adams and NYC Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant brought in Nov. 2024. The city claimed that Price Point violated the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, racketeering statutes, and local public health laws by distributing prohibited vape products to consumers in New York City and beyond.
In 2020, the FDA issued a warning letter to Price Point, deeming their sales illegal under federal law. Despite the warning, the company continued selling flavored vapes online. According to the original lawsuit, city investigators documented 20 online purchases of flavored vapes delivered to NYC addresses without age checks or required labeling between May 8, 2023 and July 2024. Some products were mislabeled or marked “not for sale in the U.S.” and included flavors known to appeal to children, such as candy and fruit.
According to the CDC, 80.6% of e-cigarette sales nationwide (17.0 million units) were for fruit and candy flavored vapes – only tobacco, menthol, mint and wintergreen are permitted for sale under city law.
“Now, thanks to our proactive actions, we have successfully put Price Point out of business, safeguarding the entire country and building on our visible accomplishments in closing down over 1,400 illegal cannabis shops and seizing over $96 million of illegal products,” Adams said.
The consent order bars the defendants from participating in any transaction involving flavored e-cigarettes or nicotine delivery systems intended for delivery into the city. It also extends to any successor company or affiliate. As part of the agreement, the city waived any past claims against the company but reserved the right to enforce future violations, with any future disputes to be resolved in New York courts.
Goode-Trufant described the settlement as a “victory for public health and the rule of law.”
“Vape distributors who believe they can illegally line their pockets at the expense of our young people will be sorely mistaken,” she added. “We will be carefully monitoring this agreement to ensure compliance.”
The Price Point case is part of a broader legal and enforcement effort by the city. In 2023, New York filed a federal lawsuit against four major distributors of illegal flavored vapes, followed by a 2024 lawsuit against 11 New York-based wholesalers. Both cases are pending in federal court.
Representatives for Price Point did not respond to amNewYork’s request for comment at the time of publication.
