From: Richard A. Brown, District Attorney, Queens County
Judge Orders Prison Term Of Up To Three Years For Male Defendant; Female Defendant Sentenced to Five Years’ Probation After Making $70,000 In Restitution
Queens County District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that two Long Island residents have been sentenced for their roles in the illegal distribution of untaxed cigarettes. The 42-y ear-old husband was sentenced to 1½ to 3 years in prison and his 39-year-old wife was given five years’ probation after paying $70,000 in restitution.
District Attorney Brown said, “Tobacco bootleggers who illegally bring untaxed cigarettes from other locations into New York for resale cheat the public by failing to contribute their fair share to city and state coffers. For every dollar or two dollars a store owner or consumer saves by purchasing an untaxed pack of cigarettes, the honest taxpayer becomes the victim by being forced to dip into his or her own pocket to pay higher taxes.”
