A New York City Burger King is the target of a whopping $15 million lawsuit over what plaintiffs charge is “an open air drug bazaar” that is destroying their neighborhood.
Allegations include the charge that a group of eight to 10 drug dealers use the Burger King as their headquarters. The restaurant is, according to the suit, a “base of operation, selling illegal drugs either at the entrance…or during inclement weather, selling illegal drugs within the Burger King.”
The suit in Manhattan Supreme Court was filed by 20-year-resident Kevin Kaufman.
The married filmmaker said that the police have been very helpful when he reached out, but their hands are tied. “Cops are doing everything they can to get rid of these people, but they’re handcuffed. It’s this idiotic bail reform.
Kaufman said that when the NYPD arrests suspects, they are back on the street within 24 hours. He said that NYPD Captain Joel Rosenthal met with Burger King officials last year, but no progress was made.
NYC Burger King hit with $15M suit, accused of allowing ‘open air drug bazaar’ run by ‘professional’ dealers https://t.co/rfyK8xal0T pic.twitter.com/HgOezAji5u
— New York Post (@nypost) March 17, 2024
According to police department data, there have been two arrests and 143 calls to authorities concerning the Burger King since Jan. 1, 2023. The New York Post last week went onsite to witness the brazen operation.
A large group of suspects would at times block the doors to the restaurant and conduct what looked very much like drug transactions. Some were drinking alcohol and taking drugs themselves throughout the day as they used the Burger King as an office.
Another longtime resident told the outlet that city officials turned a blind eye to the scene. “This is around the corner from the mayor, his office is right there, and it’s like ‘Dude, clean up your neighborhood.’”
The 47-year-old man said that the location does very little actual restaurant business. The only people entering and leaving “are poor, homeless or dealing drugs.”
He said that people from the neighborhood never frequent the Burger King because of the criminal activity. The anonymous citizen asked how the location stays in business and why city officials are not addressing the unsafe situation.
Kaufman singled out the restaurant’s owner, 66-year-old Lalmir Sultanzada of Long Island. The Afghan immigrant owns several New York City eating establishments, and the plaintiff charged that “he doesn’t take responsibility.”
Sultanzada, according to the resident, blames the police and refuses to hire private security.
