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Up in smoke

February 25, 2013 Helen Klein

Photo courtesy of Captain Richard DiBlasio

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In the past two weeks, cops at the 68^th Precinct have seized untaxed cigarettes brought into New York from Virginia with a total street value of $34,500.

Captain Richard DiBlasio, the precincts commanding officer, told this paper that the cigarettes were seized in two separate incidents.

On February 15, Police Officer Frank Cinolauro conducted a car stop at Fifth Avenue and 82^nd Street. Inside the vehicle, DiBlasio said, were 55 cartons of cigarettes in plain sight, with a street value of over $7,000, that were missing their New York tax stamps, meaning that no tax had been paid on them in the state.

Then, said DiBlasio, on February 23, Police Officer Yuroslav Shvartsman stopped a car at Eighth Avenue and 64^th Street for a traffic infraction.

A number of cartons of cigarettes were observed on the back seat of the car, he went on, noting that a total of 210 unstamped cartons were removed from the car, with a street value of $27,000.

The alleged perpetrators in both incidents were charged with possession with intent to sell unstamped (untaxed) cigarettes, which is a misdemeanor.

The problem here is that some stores are looking to make any type of profit, DiBlasio explained. Meanwhile, they are bypassing New York revenue and hurting honest merchants who are doing business within the law.

The message to local merchants? If youre selling untaxed cigarettes, youre going to get arrested for it, DiBlasio stressed.