Hanover cracks down on illegal vape shop activity, charging 16 people in July and August

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Vape shop regulation has become a hot topic across central Virginia for weeks, and Hanover County has joined the crackdown. 

In August, the Hanover County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) worked with the Henrico County Police Division and made five arrests after finding illegal sales of marijuana in two shops. 

In July, Hanover deputies sent underage buyers into 13 vape shops. Eleven of those sold products to the buyer without asking for ID to show they were 21 or older. For some sellers this wasn’t a first-time offense. Compliance checks are done through the Special Investigative Unit and the underage buyers are 16 to 19 years old.

Location of compliance checks on July 22, 2025 (Underage Compliance)

• 9200 block of Chamberlayne Road (Tobacco Hut)
• 7200 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike (Carytown Tobacco)
• 6300 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike (Native Smoke)
• 6900 block of Cold Harbor Road (RVA Vape and Tobacco)
• 10300 block of Leadbetter Road (Clay’s Market)
• 100 block of N. Washington Highway (Carytown Tobacco)
• 600 block of England Street (Tobacco Hut)

Location of compliance checks on July 23, 2025 (Underage Compliance)

• 16100 block of Washington Highway (Tobacco Villa)
• 100 block of Junction Drive (Ash Tobacco)
• 200 block of N. Washington Highway (Fantasy Vape)
• 100 block of Hill Carter Parkway (Tobacco and Vape)

“What we want from this is we just want them to abide by the law," said Sergeant Steve Wills with the HCSO. "We want these vape shops to run a clean business and check IDs.” 

Sale of tobacco to a minor is a civil penalty, and in this case only cost the 11 stores a $50 fine each.  

“Hopefully a lesson learned but some of these weren’t first time offenders either," Sgt. Wills said.

Sergeant Wills was once the school resource officer at Hanover High School and saw the rise of popularity of vape products firsthand. 

“I was there when this started to become a problem, and now you’re talking about marijuana vape pens and things of that nature. And we’re seeing those too," he said.

He said they’ve seen a trend in vape shops also selling illegal marijuana products. 

The sheriff's office received a tip that some stores were openly selling marijuana. They used undercover deputies who built connections in the stores over time, which led deputies from one store to another.

They eventually issued warrants in Hanover and a few in collaboration with Henrico Police. They ended up confiscating over 20 pounds of marijuana costing over $100,000. 

This is the second investigation of this kind that took place this year.

“It shows there’s a much larger problem here," he told 8News. "These vape stores are selling things, there’s very little regulation, and they’re acting as marijuana dispensaries.” 

Arrests made related to Distribution of Marijuana on August 27

• Yousef Alia Al-Jahm, 26 (18.2-248.1 Distribution of More than One Ounce of Marijuana, 18.2-255.2 Distribution of Marijuana within 1000 feet of a School)
• Shashwat Goswami, 27 (18.2-248.1 Distribution of Over One Ounce of Marijuana)
• Yunes Ali Mohammed Al-Jahm, 21 (18.2-256/18.2-248.1 Conspiracy to Distribute More than One Ounce of Marijuana)
• Crystal Patricia Espinal, 31 (18.2-248.1 Distribution of More than One Ounce of Marijuana, 18.2-255.2 Distribution of Marijuana within 1000 feet of a School)
• Apeksha Oli, 24 (18.2-248.1 Distribution of More than One Ounce of Marijuana)

Sergeant Wills said they do compliance checks on a regular basis and even try to give some of the shops a heads-up and get them to fall in line but said it has little effect.

"It is a growing problem that we have seen and we’re doing our best to try to limit the kids’ exposure to it and their ability to get their hands on it," he said.

The Hanover County Board of Supervisors approved new regulations in August that will only impact new vape shops. The 22 existing ones are exempt. But the county is trying to keep these kinds of shops from popping up near schools and parks, and in close proximity to one another.