Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has sued two men, their company and their limited-liability entity for $2.5million after more than 70 companies paid thousands of dollars for licenses for cannabis that did not exist.
Tong filed On July 3, the Hartford Superior Court. Michael Tedesco from Fairfield, along with Zafir Isaac of Oakdale were named defendants. Iqbal and Tedesco are both affiliates of MAKECTBETTER LLC.
According to the complaint, the defendants deceived between 35 and 70 Connecticut retail stores into thinking they would be able to obtain a cannabis state license through the Department of Consumer Protection of Connecticut (DCP), as part of an imaginary state “pilot project” which allowed the retailers to legally sell cannabis. The Attorney General claims that the defendants tricked the retailers by using fake DCP documents which appeared to have been signed off an official at Tong’s office.
According to the complaint the defendants collected between $25,001 and $30,500 in fees from the retail stores. It details scams that took place in New Milford and New Haven, as well as Manchester. However, it also claims defendants have “sold or attempted to sale” false cannabis licenses across towns in the state.
Tong stated in an interview on the 28th of July that “this was a brazen fraud to extract tens or thousands of dollar from Connecticut retailers using false documents and false promises.” Press Release. “But let’s be clear—no one can pretend to be an agent of the Office of the Attorney General and get away with it. The unassailable facts in our case are the basis for our lawsuit, which will freeze assets worth $2.5m.
Tong seeks $2.5 million in prejudgment damages for acts or practices unfair or deceptive that started as early as January 2024 or even earlier.
Three specific retailers are named in the complaint as allegedly being involved in this alleged scheme.
- Grab ‘N Go Mart LLC is located in New Haven
- New Milly Smoke Shop in New Milford
- Happy Puff LLC, in Manchester
Tong has also produced exhibits, including what he claims are fake documents that purport to be cannabis business licenses from the DCP issued to retail stores. He’s also included a DCP official letterhead that falsely claimed to come directly from Connecticut associate attorney general Sandra Arenas.
According to the complaint, they also created an account that falsely claimed to be Arenas and used it to communicate with business.
Tong, the DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli’s representative in the case, is acting on Tong’s request.
The scam targets business owners who believed they had followed the law when they obtained a licence to sell marijuana. However, cannabis licenses may only be granted by the Department of Consumer Protection.” Cafferelli said. All information regarding the licensing process is available at ct.gov/cannabis, and if you are uncertain, you can always call or email our office to confirm if an ‘opportunity’ is a scam. It is unacceptable to impersonate our office or the Office of the Attorney General in order to defraud businesses of thousands of dollar and then brag about it.”
Tedesco bragged that 70 companies had signed agreements, according to Iqbal’s lawsuit. According to Iqbal, the defendants entered into agreements in 2024, late 2024, or early 2025, with 35 businesses, to get the fake cannabis licenses.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont Ned Lamont Sign up for our Newsletter In June 2021 the State’s Cannabis regulators started. License applications are accepted Businesses in February 2022. Adult-use marijuana dispensary sales Startseite The year 2023 will begin on January 1.
State law prohibits the sale of cannabis by retailers who are not licensed. These products also must adhere to strict packaging, labeling and testing standards.
The lawsuit claims that “Defendants have not, and never have had, the power to apply for cannabis establishment licenses with the Department in behalf of retailers. Nor have they ever had a reasonable basis to think, or represent, to others, they were able to do so.” The lawsuit states that defendants have no relevant relationships with licensed Connecticut cannabis businesses.
The plaintiffs have asked the court to order the defendants not to engage in business or perform any acts which violate Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has sued two men, their company and their limited-liability entity for $2.5million after more than 70 companies paid thousands of dollars for licenses for cannabis that did not exist.
Tong filed On July 3, the Hartford Superior Court. Michael Tedesco of Fairfield and Zafir Iqbal of Oakdale are named as defendants in the lawsuit. Iqbal and Tedesco are both affiliates of MAKECTBETTER LLC.
In the complaint it is claimed that defendants deceived up to 70 Connecticut retail stores into thinking they could get a state marijuana license from Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection. This was part of a fictional “pilot program”, which would have allowed retailers to start selling cannabis. According to the Attorney General, the defendants duped businesses by using forged DCP documentation that looked like it was signed by Tong.
The complaint claims that the defendants received fees from retailers ranging between $25,000 to $30,500. It details scams that took place in New Milford and New Haven, as well as Manchester. However, it also claims defendants have “sold or attempted to sale” false cannabis licenses across towns in the state.
Tong stated in a statement on the 28th of July that “this was an outrageous scam designed to extract thousands of pounds from Connecticut retailers using false documents and false promises.” Press Release. “But let’s be clear—no one can pretend to be an agent of the Office of the Attorney General and get away with it. The unassailable facts in our case are the basis for the lawsuit, which will freeze assets worth $2.5m.
Tong seeks $2.5 million in prejudgment damages for acts or practices that were unfair or deceptive and began before January 2024.
Three specific retailers are named in the complaint as allegedly being involved in this alleged scheme.
- Grab ‘N Go Mart LLC is located in New Haven
- New Milly Smoke Shop in New Milford
- Happy Puff LLC, in Manchester
Tong has also produced exhibits, including what he claims are fake documents that purport to be cannabis business licenses from the DCP issued to retail stores. He’s also included a DCP official letterhead that falsely claimed to have been signed by Connecticut Associate Attorney Sandra Arenas.
The complaint states that the defendants also set up an email address, which falsely pretended to belong to Arenas. From this account, they communicated to businesses.
Tong has filed the suit at the direction of DCP commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli.
The scam targets business owners who believed they had followed the law when they obtained a licence to sell marijuana. However, cannabis licenses may only be granted by the Department of Consumer Protection,” Cafferelli said. All information regarding the licensing process is available at ct.gov/cannabis, and if you are uncertain, you can always call or email our office to confirm if an ‘opportunity’ is a scam. It is unacceptable to impersonate our office or the Office of the Attorney General in order to defraud businesses of thousands of dollar and then brag about it.”
Tedesco “boasted”, that 70 companies had signed agreements, according to Iqbal’s lawsuit. According to Iqbal, the defendants entered into agreements in 2024, late or early, with 35 businesses, to get the fake cannabis licenses.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont Ned Lamont Sign up for our Newsletter The state will pass its adult-use cannabis legalization law by June 2021 and begin regulating the industry. License applications are accepted Businesses in February 2022. Licensed adult-use marijuana dispensaries Startseite The year 2023 will begin on January 1.
State law prohibits the sale of cannabis by retailers who are not licensed. These products also must adhere to strict packaging, labeling and testing standards.
In the lawsuit, it is stated that defendants “have never and will not ever have the authority to secure cannabis establishment licenses for retailers from the Department, nor did they have any reason to believe or claim to have such authority.” The lawsuit states that defendants have no relevant relationships with licensed Connecticut cannabis businesses.
The plaintiffs have asked the court to order the defendants not to engage in business or perform any acts which violate Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Cannabis Law Resources available in Poland
Discover essential legal information about the cultivation of cannabis, its sale, and regulations governing medical products in Poland. These guides will help you understand the legal requirements, such as certifications, permits, and compliance.
-
Polish News Registration and Interests of Cannabis Businesses
-
Permissions for Cannabis Sales in Poland
-
Authorization for Importing or Manufacturing Medical Products
-
Permission for Manufacturing or Importing Medical Products
-
Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
-
Registration of Medical Products in Poland