Cigarette Smuggling
Cigarette smuggling is becoming big business in the United States. As excise tax rates continue to rise in New York and across the country, financial incentives arise for bootleggers to smuggle cigarettes from states with lower or no excise taxes to those with high excise tax.
Cigarette Smuggling Under Fire
States such as New York and Michigan have begun taking a hard-line stance against cigarette smuggling recently, however, amid serious budget crises. An article in the Wall Street Journal on July 20, 2009 cited recent studies which estimate tax revenue losses nationwide at around $5 million.
New York Taking Cigarette Smuggling Seriously
Recently, the New York Department of Taxation and Finance performed an undercover investigation in which agents posed as cigarette smugglers and sold illegal cigarettes to a network of well-known stores, including two 7-Eleven stores. The Department estimated that this operation alone cost New York $2.1 million in uncollected taxes. Eighteen member of the cigarette smuggling chain were arrested.
Related Crimes
Cigarette smuggling often occurs inside of a href="http://www.criminaldefensefirm.com/index.php/topics/organizedcrime">Organized Crime<'http://www.criminaldefensefirm.com/index.php/topics/organizedcrime"> rings. Because cigarette smuggling can yield large amounts of cash quickly, it can often propel individuals into other areas of crime, such as Cocaine Sale/Distribution.
We Can Help
If you have been charged with cigarette smuggling or need advice on a related matter, Contact the defense lawyers at The Blanch Law Firm today by calling (646) 350-0270.
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