Understanding The Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act
Cigarettes and other tobacco products are legal to use and possess for adults in the United States who are 21 years of age or older. However, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and other similar products are tightly regulated at the federal level. To transport and sell them, individuals or businesses must abide by strict rules or face penalties that include prison time and thousands of dollars in fines.
The lawyer at Hale Law Firm, PC, brings a combination of federal-level public defender work and knowledge of North Carolina’s position in the tobacco industry to cigarette trafficking cases. Attorney Robert H. Hale Jr. will carefully examine how federal prosecutors have constructed their tobacco smuggling case and block any attempt to circumvent your due process rights.
What Charges Could You Face For Cigarette Trafficking?
Tobacco farms in North Carolina often sell cigarettes at low tax rates. The temptation to make a profit off this situation is great – often would-be traffickers will attempt to sell cigarettes in other parts of the country after smuggling tobacco across state lines.
The Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act, passed in 1978, makes it a crime to transport or sell more than 10,000 cigarettes without a tax stamp. Prosecutors don’t just look for the number of cigarettes you’ve purchased when conducting their investigation, though. They may add charges such as the following when alleging that you participated in a tobacco smuggling conspiracy:
- Wire fraud
- Mail fraud
- Money laundering
- Tax fraud
- Conspiracy to commit cigarette trafficking
Don’t wait for federal investigators to arrest you. If you suspect that you are being investigated on cigarette trafficking charges, call the attorney at Hale Law Firm, PC, to begin receiving legal counsel.
Hire An Experienced Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
Attorney Hale leverages his years as a former assistant federal public defender to enhance the defense of every federal criminal defense client with whom he works. Call his office in Raleigh at 919-891-8995 to request an appointment. Or you may use this website’s online contact form to get in touch.