Smoke Shop Sold Marijuana Illegally, Red Bank Police Say

RED BANK, NJ — The owner and an employee of a local smoke shop have been arrested and charged with selling marijuana illegally, Red Bank Police Chief Michael Frazee said.

Dynasty Smoke Shop Owner Tony Zhou, 39, of East Brunswick, and employee Tabitha Jones, 35, of Edison, were arrested following a months-long investigation into the illegal sale of marijuana and other controlled substances at the shop, Frazee said.

Jones and Zhou were both charged with possessing and selling 25 pounds or more of marijuana and doing so within 1,000 feet of school property (the Red Bank Charter School), Frazee said.

In addition to those charges, police said Zhou was charged with conspiracy to commit distribution of marijuana of more than one ounce but less than five pounds; conspiracy to commit distribution of marijuana of more than once ounce, but less than five pounds within 1,000 feet of school property; possession of marijuana of more than six ounces; possession with intent to distribute toxic chemicals by selling nitrous oxide containers intended for intoxication; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In addition to the charges previously listed for Jones, Frazee said Jones was also charged with distribution of marijuana of more than one ounce but less than five pounds; distribution of marijuana of more than one ounce, but less than five pounds within 1,000 feet of school property; possession of marijuana of more than six ounces; possession with intent to distribute toxic chemicals by selling nitrous oxide containers intended for intoxication; possession of drug paraphernalia; providing/selling certain items to those under 21 years old.

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, RedBankGreen reported that Red Bank police detectives and special agents with the NJ Department of Treasury raided Dynasty Smoke Shop, with bystanders describing at least one person taken from the store in handcuffs.

According to the report, uniformed and plainclothes officers could be seen in and around the store gathering and removing bags of evidence.

In a news release, Frazee said a separate investigation is also being conducted by the NJ Division of Taxation into the shop, which could result in additional charges.

The Red Bank Police Department’s investigation was led by Sgt. Sean Hauschildt and Det. Shane Dengel, with support from the police department’s Detective Bureau and other officers.

“I want to thank all of the officers who participated in this investigation and commend Sgt. Hauschildt and Det. Dengel for the hard work and dedication that went into this investigation,” Frazee said.

“I want to thank the community for their patience as these investigations take time to build, but more importantly, it demonstrates the commitment of the Red Bank Police Department to protecting our community and ensuring that businesses operating within our Borough do so lawfully," Frazee continued. "We will not tolerate the distribution of dangerous substances in our town, and particularly near our schools."

Frazee added that both Jones and Zhou are innocent until proven guilty.

Dynasty Smoke Shop is located at 160 Monmouth Street, Red Bank.