Business to plead to charge of selling illegal products

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A vape shop will plead next month to an allegation it violated the province’s Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Sales Act.

RMKH Holdings Limited was charged in November with selling or offering for sale flavoured products intended to be used in electronic cigarettes on June 14 in Aulac. The case has been put off several times to give the defence lawyer time to review the evidence and decide how to proceed.

Lawyer Wanda Severns was in Moncton provincial court for the company on Tuesday and asked for another adjournment, telling the court she wants more time to continue resolution discussions with the Crown’s office.

Prosecutor Gaetane Johnson consented to the adjournment, but noted the case has been before the court for a while.

“Obviously this matter needs to move along,” she said.

RMKH Holdings now plans to enter a plea on May 1.

Several other companies were charged with the same offence in 2023 in the Moncton area and other parts of the province after investigations by Department of Justice and Public Safety officers. Many businesses charged have put off their pleas and are taking part in a constitutional challenge of the law, which has not yet been heard in Fredericton.

Another company, Albion Vapor Shop of Sackville, had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was to stand trial on April 10. The owner instead pleaded guilty to selling flavoured vapes and was fined $288.