Babylon Officials Shutter Convenience Store After Illegal Vape Bust

NORTH BABYLON, NY — The Town of Babylon shut down a North Babylon convenience store after it was busted for selling vape products to an underage customer last week, town officials told Patch.

On September 10, the town's Code Enforcement team ordered Milk N' Things on Deer Park Avenue to close after employee Ashish Brahmbhatt, 36, was arrested the day before for selling vape products to a minor for the second time.

Numerous illegal flavored vape products were also seized from the store, police said.

The order prohibits occupancy of the building and states that violating the order is a "Class A misdemeanor which is punishable by up to a year in prison."

Officials told Patch that there's no timeframe for the shop to reopen and they "certainly won't allow them to" unless they are "confident they will follow the law."

"Let us make something very clear: we and our partners at the Suffolk County Police Department's First Precinct will come after any business in town that is putting our children in danger," said Councilman Terence McSweeney, chair of the Town's Public Safety Committee.

Meanwhile, Brahmbhatt was charged with second-degree unlawfully dealing with a child, a misdemeanor and is slated to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on September 27.