By Rich Calder and Matthew Sedacca
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The illegal Big Apple pot shop that smugly operates across the street from City Hall is back in business — even after landing on The Post’s front page Sunday and being raided for a third time.
Jungle Boys, which operates 278 feet from Mayor Adams’ office in a landmarked Broadway building that houses city agencies, had its glass counter chockfull of dozens of cannabis products Friday, including pre-rolled joints and edibles.
“We’re not worried [about another raid]. If we were worried, we wouldn’t be selling this product,” a store staffer boasted to The Post.
Jungle Boys was slapped with roughly $50,000 in fines by the city Sheriff after the agency conducted inspections at the pot shop last week. During that raid, one staffer was arrested for allegedly selling pot to a minor.
The latest penalties come on top of having more than $175,000 worth of product seized during previous raids in January and December. It opened in the fall.
The latest penalties come on top of having more than $175,000 worth of product seized during previous raids in January and December. It opened in the fall.
The landlord of part of the 19th century-era former Home Life Insurance Company building at 253 Broadway, “City Hall Commons LLC,” insisted its lease with Jungle Boys prohibits “illegal activity” and said it was unaware it was breaking laws.
The landlord alleges it would have preferred to rent to another tenant but it’s been difficult to attract others because a city-issued construction scaffold has surrounded the front of the building “degrading its value” for most the past 10 years. The landlord said it will be filing a claim against the city over the matter.
The mayor’s office declined to address questions about Jungle Boys peddling weed again. Only three cannabis shops are legally operating in the city — but an estimated 1,400 illegal cannabis shops operate citywide because of lax state laws.
