Court Rules
All enforcement actions
Consent DecreeMedium Risk

New Jersey AG Secures $100,000 Consumer Fraud Penalty Against King Distribution LLC and 17 Retailers for Illegal Flavored Vape Sales

King Distribution LLC and 17 related retail businessesMay 15, 2026New Jersey Attorney General

Penalty Amount

$100,000

Summary

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced a Consent Order with King Distribution LLC and 17 related retail smoke shops, resolving allegations that the companies illegally sold flavored vapor products in violation of New Jersey’s consumer protection laws. The Consent Order imposes a $100,000 civil penalty, requires reimbursement of $22,279 in investigation costs, and prohibits the companies from selling or distributing flavored vapor products in New Jersey. The enforcement action is part of New Jersey’s ongoing efforts to protect youth from flavored vape products, which have been permanently banned in the state since January 2020.

Remedy

The Consent Order imposes a $100,000 civil penalty on all respondent companies. It permanently prohibits King Distribution from distributing flavored vapor products to New Jersey retailers, and bars all respondents from selling such products in New Jersey, with the ban extending to affiliated individuals and entities. King Distribution must notify buyers of the flavored vape ban during lawful sales, and all respondents must reimburse the Division $22,279 for investigation costs.

Monetary PenaltyInjunctionConsent Decree

Contract Impact

In-house legal teams should review all vendor, distribution, and retail agreements for compliance with state-specific bans on flavored tobacco products, including representations and warranties that products comply with all applicable consumer protection laws. Agreements should include clear prohibitions on selling or distributing banned products, with indemnification clauses covering civil penalties and investigation costs in case of violations. Distribution agreements must restrict the shipment of prohibited products to jurisdictions where they are legal, and include immediate termination and injunctive relief clauses for breaches. Additionally, agreements with tobacco retailers should require certification of compliance with youth protection laws and notification requirements for regulatory changes.

Contract Search Terms

banned product complianceflavored tobacco prohibitionconsumer fraud indemnityinvestigation cost reimbursementinjunctive relief clausestate consumer protection lawyouth access preventioncharacterizing flavor ban

Laws Cited

New Jersey Consumer Fraud ActNew Jersey's ban on flavored vapor product sales (2020)New Jersey Consumer Protection Laws

Violation Types

Entity Details

Entity

King Distribution LLC and 17 related retail businesses

Industry

Other

Official Sources

Source Evidence

Title
"AG Davenport Secures $100,000 Consumer Fraud Penalty Against Flavored Vape Distributor and its Network of Retailers"
Event Date
"For Immediate Release: May 15, 2026"
Jurisdiction
"New Jersey"
Event Type
"entered into a Consent Order resolving allegations"
Entity Name
"King Distribution LLC, based in Clifton, New Jersey"
Entity Name
"17 related smoke shops in Passaic, Hudson, Bergen, and Essex counties (Retailer Respondents)"

Related Enforcement Actions

NJ

Meta Platforms, Inc.

A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general led by New Jersey, California, Colorado, and Kentucky is taking Meta Platforms, Inc. to trial, alleging that Meta designed addictive features on Instagram and Facebook that harm minors' mental health, illegally collected data from children under 13 without the required protections under COPPA, and misled users about platform safety. Opening arguments begin August 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. No monetary penalty or final remedy has yet been imposed.

NJ

U.S. Department of Transportation

A coalition of 21 state attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the Trump Administration, DOT, FMCSA, DHS, and AAMVA to prevent the unlawful demand for a database containing personal information of 17 million commercial driver's license holders. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to block the data transfer.

NJ

Opportunity Financials, LLC

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in sending comment letters to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve Board, urging them to deny OppFi's application to acquire BNC National Bank and obtain a national bank charter. The coalition argues that the charter would allow OppFi to circumvent state usury laws and offer high-cost loans with APRs up to 200%, harming consumers.

NJ

Sandoz Inc.

$400.0M

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport joined a coalition of 43 states and territories in announcing a $400 million settlement in principle with Sandoz Inc. to resolve allegations of widespread price-fixing and anticompetitive conduct in the generic drug market. Sandoz will pay approximately $469 million total including prior settlements, and has agreed to internal reforms to ensure fair competition.

NJ

New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs

Press release announcing that Governor Mikie Sherrill will nominate consumer protection expert Christopher L. Peterson to serve as Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Peterson is a former senior CFPB official and legal scholar. No enforcement action or privacy violation is described.

NJ

Paramount and Warner Bros.

The New Jersey Attorney General announced that Paramount and Warner Bros. have agreed to put their merger on hold while a lawsuit challenging the merger proceeds. The agreement prevents the merger from moving forward until the end of trial or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first.