Federal prosecutors in California have opened a criminal investigation into Juul Labs Inc., The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 23, citing anonymous sources.
The U.S. attorney's office of the Northern District of California is in early stages of the investigation, but the focus of the probe was not identified, according to the report.
"We cannot confirm or deny the existence or non-existence of a criminal investigation under these circumstances," Abraham Simmons, a public information officer for the attorney's office, said in an interview.
Juul is facing regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts as concerns about youth vaping and vaping-related illnesses grow.
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Juul's marketing practices, according to the Journal, and a congressional subcommittee is pressuring Juul to hand over documents related to its products and marketing tactics. The Trump administration is working on a plan to ban most flavored electronic cigarettes.
Juul did not immediately respond to S&P Global Market Intelligence's request for comment.
