by Garth Meyer
After a 3-2 vote by the Redondo Beach city council, an Artesia Boulevard smoke shop has, for now, kept its business license after being accused of selling illegal flavored tobacco. Mayor Jim Light threatened to veto the decision. He will have five days to deliberate once he receives the resolution from the city clerk’s office.
Manhattan Smoke Shop was first suspended last November after a local investigation found the banned products for sale. Owner Feras Adamo appealed to the city council Feb. 24.
Stephanie Johnson, Redondo Beach senior deputy city prosecutor, presented the findings of the investigation, with testimony from police officers Michael Strosnider and Josh Spry, who participated in a March 25, 2025 inspection of the shop, conducted by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
A total of 1,630 units of flavored tobacco were found; on the sales floor, in a locked storage room and in a cabinet. The items added up to $24,644 in retail value.
“It’s my opinion that all of these were possessed with the intent to sell them,” Sergeant Spry told the city council.
Councilmembers were directed to judge, based on the preponderance of the evidence, defined as 51%, if the products were meant for sale.
“I would ask the city council to impose a permanent revocation of the business license,” Prosecutor Johnson said. “… Maintaining a business license in this city is a privilege, not a right. The facts and circumstances show (Adamo) didn’t care about the law at all. Violation of the law doesn’t require a sale, it doesn’t require that a transaction occur.”
Owner Adamo’s attorney said his client has never been in violation of any tobacco law.
Adamo explained that a wholesaler came into the shop, dropped off the merchandise and left.
“I didn’t know I couldn’t store them. The products confiscated were 1% of the whole store,” he said.
Adamo owns the building. The business license took effect in 2021.
He noted he spent $80,000 then on sidewalk improvements because the city code required it.
Redondo Beach City Councilman Scott Behrendt asked what safeguards Adamo would put in place to prevent illegal sales like this from happening again. Adamo said he would welcome inspections anytime.
“It was my first violation, I’d like to apologize,” he said.
Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic questioned the owner’s answer to Behrendt’s question.
“It can’t be on the city to be sure you don’t have illegal products in your store,” she said.
Kaluderovic noted that flavored tobacco is targeted at youth.
“It’s a huge concern of mine,” she said.
Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr., asked if Adamo would promise to install aesthetically higher-quality signs out front as part of a deal to stay in business. Adamo said he would.
Councilman Brad Waller had a related request.
“Will you put up a sign in the window announcing you don’t have any flavored tobacco or cannabis at this store?” he said.
Councilman Chadwick Castle noted that the prosecutor’s office maintains the store had these illegal products since at least 2022 – the year they were first banned in California. Flavored tobacco sales are permitted in other states such as Nevada.
An estimated 80 to 100 hours of Redondo Beach prosecutor’s office and police time went into the investigation.
City attorney Joy Ford explained that the council’s options for punishment included suspension, restitution, revocation and/or to impose conditions.
“I don’t want to dampen the efforts we’ve made as a council [smoke shop ordinance] and police and prosecution time,” Kaluderovic said. “I also don’t want to send the message to other businesses that you can have one violation and you’ll get another shot.”
With that, she made a motion to revoke the license.
Castle seconded it.
Councilman Waller said he was torn. He said he felt for the appellate, “strongly, but we have rules.”
“I think, at this point, I would support the motion.”
“I’m a little torn as well,” Councilman Behrendt said. “A part of me (says) a little balance, a second chance (but) sending a strong message.”
He put forth a substitute motion for a 90-day suspension and if any further violation occurs, the license would be stripped immediately. He added in Waller’s idea that a sign be required out front saying the store sells no flavored tobacco or (cannabis).
Behrendt asked about getting restitution too; $40,000 for police time and prosecutor’s office time. All of this went into his substitute motion.
Councilman Obagi, Jr., seconded Behrendt’s motion, citing the money Adamo put into the sidewalk. Obagi also agreed with the case the city presented.
“I do believe that he wasn’t selling to kids,” he said.
“If this shop gets shut down and it vacates, what business is going to go in there?” Obagi continued, guessing a liquor store as a possibility. “I’d rather work with the devil we know than the one we don’t.”
At that point Mayor Light informed the council that he was prone to veto the substitute motion if it passed.
“I don’t believe in being soft on this,” Light said.
“I feel confident we’ve made this as tough as we can without a shutdown,” Behrendt said.
Waller noted that, before he was on the city council, he lobbied for Proposition 31, the 2022 state ballot measure which banned the sale of flavored tobacco.
He then voted with Behrendt and Obagi, Jr., for lenience for Adamo. Kaluderovic and Castle voted no.
(Kaluderovic’s motion failed 3-2).
The mayor reiterated that he is inclined to veto Behrendt’s approved motion.
“I don’t think we should make monetary impact to the city (of utmost importance). I think we should be making decisions based on the case in front of us,” Light said.
“… The monetary component is not a driver…,” Councilman Behrendt said.
Obagi, Jr. then made a motion to reopen the deliberation. It prevailed 4-1. Behrendt cast the dissenting vote.
“A permanent revocation for a first-time violation seems (overly harsh),” Behrendt said. “If this is a bad apple, we’re going to know real fast. Sgt. Spry is going to be bird-dogging this thing.”
The councilman then made his original motion again and Obagi, Jr., gave it another second.
“We’re trying to be a business-friendly city. I’m willing to give this business owner one last opportunity,” Obagi said.
Councilman Castle made a motion to revoke the license. It failed 3-2, then Behrendt’s passed 3-2, again.
It passed once again a week later, on Tuesday night, after its language was made official by the city attorney’s office.
“There were no accusations of, or sales to minors,” Councilman Behrendt said in his final remarks March 3. “If there were, this would’ve been over in five minutes, with a revocation.”
The matter is now up to Mayor Light whether to veto. If he does, the council may override it with a 4-1 vote.
“I’ll re-look at the tape and review all of the evidence presented in the hearing,” Light said Wednesday morning. ER
