The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office and the Tri-Rivers Drug Task Force searched the York Tobacco & Vape Shop in the Patriots Square shopping center in York County, Virginia, on 15 September 2023.[1] Sheriff Ron Montgomery said the investigation began about a month earlier, after complaints from citizens and concerned parents that illegal products were being sold at the shop, including vapes to underage children.[1]

Deputies seized Delta 8 pre-made blunts, 26 containers of prepackaged marijuana, 84 liquid THC packages and synthetic marijuana during the search.[2] Authorities said Delta 8 THC is illegal in Virginia after a law took effect on 1 July 2023.[3] A store employee said Bezeid Khaomani, who was named in court documents, no longer worked at the shop.[3] Court documents say Khaomani sold marijuana out of the store, and the records say authorities carried out surveillance on the employee during illegal drug transactions.[3]

Criminal charges were pending against two employees of the shop, and the sheriff’s office gave no weight for the marijuana seized.[1] The only lawful sales of marijuana in Virginia at the time were for medical use.[3]