The State of Connecticut is suing a Fairfield company, MAKECTBETTER LLC, its principal Michael Tedesco and an affiliate Zafir Iqbal of Oakdale, over an alleged scheme to sell fraudulent cannabis licenses. The complaint, filed by Attorney General William Tong in Hartford Superior Court, alleges the scheme defrauded more than 70 businesses of tens of thousands […]
The State of Connecticut is suing a Fairfield company, MAKECTBETTER LLC, its principal Michael Tedesco and an affiliate Zafir Iqbal of Oakdale, over an alleged scheme to sell fraudulent cannabis licenses.
The complaint, filed by Attorney General William Tong in Hartford Superior Court, alleges the scheme defrauded more than 70 businesses of tens of thousands of dollars.
The suit claims that the defendants misrepresented to Connecticut retailers that they were part of a fictional state “pilot program” that authorized them to sell cannabis licenses and cannabis supply.
The defendants are accused of forging documents purporting to be issued by the Department of Consumer Protection and signed by an official in the Office of the Attorney General.
The Attorney General’s office says Iqbal claimed to have entered into such agreements with approximately 35 businesses, charging $25,000 to $30,000 each. Tedesco allegedly said that as many as 70 businesses have entered into such agreements.
The complaint details several examples of how the alleged scheme worked.
In January 2024, Iqbal introduced Tedesco to the owner of Grab ‘N Go Mart in New Haven and New Milly Smoke Shop in New Milford. Tedesco allegedly told the owner that he was authorized to sell cannabis establishment licenses. In exchange for $50,000, Tedesco provided the owner with forged documents on DCP letterhead, purportedly from an Associate Attorney General, falsely indicating both shops were approved to distribute “legal cannabis.”
“This was a brazen scam to extract tens of thousands of dollars from Connecticut retailers based on false promises and forged documents,” said Attorney General Tong.
In conjunction with the complaint, the Attorney General’s office has filed an application for a $2.5 million prejudgment remedy, seeking to freeze the assets of Tedesco, MAKECTBETTER and Iqbal to prevent the defendants from shifting resources to evade accountability.
