Police Confiscate Illegal Weed Truck Operating in Fordham Manor

By DAVID GREENE

A GRAFFITI-PAINTED ICE cream truck sits outside the 52nd Precinct on Webster Avenue in Norwood on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, after it was recently confiscated by officers of the precinct from Fordham Manor where residents said it had been identified as the illegal carrier of a cannabis sale operation.
Photo by David Greene

After complaints to 311 from residents in Fordham Manor, officers from the 52nd Precinct removed an ice cream truck from the streets that wasn’t selling ice cream.

52nd Precinct commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Jeremy Scheublin, confirmed that an occupant of the truck with painted graffiti on all sides advertising the sale of “Lover’s Lane Exotics,” was indeed involved with the illegal sale of weed, adding that the truck was recently seen operating at Valentine Avenue and East 194th Street.

On Monday, Oct. 3, Scheublin said of the vehicle, “Yes, it was involved in unlicensed marijuana sales.” He added, “After some community complaints to 311, we were able to respond to the condition. The truck is currently in our custody and violations were issued to those involved.”

POSING AS AN ice cream truck but allegedly selling cannabis, the ‘Lovers Lane Exotic’ truck was confiscated by police and was later seen parked outside the 52nd Precinct on Webster Avenue in Norwood on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022.
Photo by David Greene

Scheublin declined to say how much pot was confiscated. Norwood News is waiting for feedback on a request placed with the NYPD press office on the date of confiscation of the truck, along with other questions regarding the incident.

The NY Daily News reported on cannabis being sold out out of a truck in Harlem that resembled a food truck back in November 2021. The truck owner allegedly justified the operation by explaining that the buyer of the weed wasn’t making a purchase, just providing the seller with a “donation,” and the seller wasn’t peddling pot, but merely offering the customer a gift in return for their generosity.

Meanwhile, the New York Post published a story and photo of a cannabis-topped, ice cream cone that was allegedly being sold out of a similar-looking truck in the Inwood section of Manhattan back in April of this year.

POLICE SAY AN occupant of this ice cream truck, seen outside the 52nd Precinct in Norwood on on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, was selling cannabis illegally at Valentine Avenue and East 194th Street in Fordham Manor, before police confiscated both the truck and the weed.
Photo by David Greene

In August, Pix11 News reported on an NYPD crackdown on ice cream trucks that were allegedly not selling ice cream, reporting that 19 trucks had been seized by the NYPD after receiving complaints from 311.

Norwood News previously reported on a number of Bronx-specific, cannabis-related stories in recent months, including the latest developments on the targeted regulation of the sale of cannabis in New York State, the launch of The Bronx Cannabis Hub, and a harm reduction forum held at Monroe College, which addressed drug use in Poe Park.

Did you hear? New Yorkers can now apply for the state's first cannabis retail dispensary licenses!

These licenses will be prioritized for New Yorkers most harmed by cannabis prohibition.@NYC_SBS has all the resources to help you apply: https://t.co/ubLRl18jBy pic.twitter.com/L711yCjToa

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) August 28, 2022

On Aug. 28, the Mayor’s office announced that New Yorkers can now apply for the State’s first cannabis retail dispensary licenses, adding that licenses for those most harmed by cannabis prohibition would be prioritized. More details can be found at nyc.gov/cannabis.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Oct. 6, “I’m pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden.”

Norwood News will update this story should we receive any additional information on the Fordham Manor truck.

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.