ALBANY – In a federal lawsuit filed in February, Attorney General Letitia James called the Buffalo-based Magellan Technologies the purchasing arm of the single largest distributor of illegal flavored e-cigarettes in New York State.
Wet Vapes, vape business operating in Erie and Niagara counties, was among a dozen companies charged in what Gov. Kathy Hochul was calling the largest law enforcement action against illegal vaping in the state’s history.
Four months later, State Sen. Sean Ryan could identify Magellan by another description: campaign contributor.
The Buffalo Democrat and front-runner to be the next mayor of Buffalo received $5,000 from Magellan Technologies, according to the most recent campaign disclosures.
And the senator and mayoral candidate appears to have no plans to return the donation.
“Senator Ryan finds the allegations concerning; the receipt of a campaign contribution has no impact on his judgment on the matter,” said Nick Beiling, a spokesperson for the Ryan campaign. “He has taken extensive action in the New York State Assembly and Senate to ensure nicotine products are kept out of the hands of underage consumers, and supports law enforcement holding any company that breaks the law accountable.”
In 2020, the state prohibited the sale of flavored vape products such as e-cigarettes without an exemption from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. New York has also outlawed the sale of vape products to anyone under 21 or to have them shipped to consumers.
In February, James sued Magellan, as well as its subsidiary, Demand Vape, known also as Ecto World, in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on allegations of illegal sale of vapes. The suit said the FDA sent warning letters to Magellan and other companies – that have not been granted premarket exceptions – to not illegally sell vape products. Instead of heeding the warning, the suit said, Magellan continued to flood the state with illegal flavored e-cigarettes and disposable vapes.
The majority of flavored e-cigarettes are made in China, according to the suit. It said Magellan contracts with Chinese companies that make the e-cigarette brands in China, imports them into the U.S., transfers the products to Demand Vape, which, in turn, then sells and ships the e-cigarettes to distributors that sell and ship the products further to sub-distributors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers in New York.
Ecto World LLC, which does business as Demand Vape, and its affiliate Magellan Technology Inc. were among the 13 companies that Attorney General Letitia James sued on Thursday.
Matthew J. Glauser, the president of Magellan and chief strategy officer of Demand Vape, runs one of the nation’s largest e-cigarette distribution businesses, offering 300,000 products across 49 states, an annual revenue between $500 to $600 million and some 283 employees, the suit said. It said Glauser, since 2014, has made 15 visits to a single manufacturing facility in China.
And the suit said Glauser’s reach across Western New York has spread. In January 2024, it said, Demand Vape purchased a second warehouse at 1370 William St., in Cheektowaga for $4 million. In June 2024, it said, Demand Vape bought space for $6.5 million at 3500 Genesee St., and became the tenants of a warehouse at 132 Dingens St., in Buffalo.
Glauser did not return a request for comment.
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