Danbury Vape Shop Raids-- Attorney General Tong, Mayor Alves, Danbury Police, State Department of Consumer Protection, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Department of Revenue Services, Department of Labor, Department of Mental…

Press Releases

04/10/2025

Danbury Vape Shop Raids-- Attorney General Tong, Mayor Alves, Danbury Police, State Department of Consumer Protection, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Department of Revenue Services, Department of Labor, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Announce Confiscation of 55 LBS of Illegal Cannabis

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong, Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves, Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour, Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli, Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnell Higgins, and Department of Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo today announced results of a recent raid on Danbury smoke shops, netting approximately 55 pounds of illegal cannabis products from three shops found violating numerous criminal and civil statutes including illegal drug sales, underage sales, labor violations, and tax violations.

The raids were conducted jointly by the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Consumer Protection, Danbury Police Department, State Police, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Department of Labor, and Department of Revenue Services on April 4.

Shops found in violation include Star Rose Vape & Smoke Shop at 2-4 Mill Ridge Road, All the Smoke at 6 Ives Street, and CT Smoke House at 10 Mill Plain Road.

The owner of All the Smoke, Ronnie Priar, was arrested on April 4 and charged with operating a drug factory and sale of 1 kilo or more of cannabis.

“Legal cannabis is not a free-for-all. If you are unlicensed, if you sell untested, unregulated cannabis, if you sell to minors, we will know, and we will hold you accountable. We will continue to work in lock step with our law enforcement partners throughout state and local government to protect public safety,” said Attorney General Tong.

“Thank you to Attorney General Tong, the Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Departments of Consumer Protection, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Labor, and Revenue Services for assisting the Danbury Police Department in this mission. Restoring safety to the Danbury community and eliminating these risks to our children is my utmost priority. That's why I have added more police officers and resources to our budget year-over-year. Enforcement does not stop here. I will be working with the Attorney General on strengthening our legal right to enforce penalties and further action on businesses caught selling unregulated, illegal substances in Danbury. Criminal activities are not tolerated under my Administration,” said Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves.

“We are committed to a united approach with Attorney General Tong, state agencies, and law enforcement to attack these illegal sales,’’ said Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins. “Working together, we will continue to send a clear message that this is unacceptable in our communities.”

“Thank you to our partner agencies and the City of Danbury for working together to prioritize public health and safety, and in particular, the safety of our children. Government works best when we work together, and these joint efforts are a great example of that. As always we remind adults 21 and older who choose to consume cannabis to do so legally and responsibly,” said Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli.

CT Dept. of Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said, “These joint operations require significant coordination and cooperation. I commend CTDOL Wage and Workplace Division investigators and all our law enforcement, municipal, and agency partners. Shutting down bad actors helps CTDOL protect the workforce as well as all the businesses that operate above board and in compliance with the law.”

Star Rose operates under the same ownership as Zaza Smoke Shop 2, operating under a stipulated judgement with the Office of the Attorney General following prior violations. Zaza paid a $25,000 civil penalty to the State in 2024 and is subject to a suspended civil penalty of another $35,000 if found in violation of the judgment. The Office of the Attorney General is evaluating all legal options to enforce the judgment, including filing a motion for contempt in Superior Court.

Due to the ongoing criminal and civil investigations, further details are being withheld.

Residents over age 21 can legally possess and consume cannabis in Connecticut. Cannabis products may only be sold in the regulated market and must meet rigorous testing and packaging requirements. For example, packaging for edible cannabis products must be uniformly white and cannot be visually similar to any commercially similar product that does not contain cannabis. Cannabis products sold outside of the regulated market continue to be illegal and may subject sellers to civil and criminal penalties.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

Facebook: CT Attorney General

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov

Consumer Inquiries:

860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov