State suspends license of Long Beach deli, cops arrests employee

The New York State Liquor Authority has suspended the license of a Long Beach store after the establishment was cited for “numerous and repeated violations,” including selling unregulated marijuana, state officials announced on Thursday.

The liquor license of Seabreeze Grocery Corporation, known as Sea Breeze Deli, at 831 West Beech St., was suspended, effective immediately, at a special liquor authority board meeting, according to a news release.

State officials said numerous complaints from the community regarding underage sale of alcohol and the sale of untaxed cigarettes were reported. The store has been under investigation since May.

On two occasions, Aug. 10 and Nov. 9, Long Beach officers reported that the licensee sold undercover police officers pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes, the release said. In May, police reported that an undercover officer purchased “gummies” containing THC at the store.

Long Beach police arrested Sea Breeze employee Farooq Al-Jalal, 26, of Long Beach, on Thursday and charged him with unlawful sale of marijuana and sale of marijuana in a liquor licensed establishment. The sole principal of the licensed business is Mohamed Kaliz, according to state documents.

Multiple calls to the store were unanswered and Kaliz declined to comment. Al-Jalal could not be reached.

On Oct. 1, an investigator from the liquor authority, along with members of the Long Beach Police Department and the Nassau County Fire Marshal, visited the establishment. However,  Al-Jalal refused to let the officers behind the counter for an inspection, the release said. Two employees were issued criminal court summonses for refusing to permit the inspection.

The establishment received additional violations on Nov. 10 and 15 for failure to permit an inspection of the premises, failure to keep and maintain adequate and accurate records of business transacted on the premises and with three counts of selling drugs from behind the counter.

“Due to the repeated violations of a serious nature, including the outright refusal to permit an inspection by regulatory authorities, it is our responsibility to suspend this license,” said SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley in the release. “While marijuana is now legal in New York, selling unregulated products without a license is dangerous and illegal. Consequently, this premises has become a nuisance to the community, a drain to police resources, and a threat to public health and safety.”