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 TRENTON
- New Jersey Treasurer John E. McCormac announced today that special
agents from the State's Division of Taxation have arrested three individuals
for violations related to the smuggling and sale of contraband cigarettes.
Dipan Patel and Switu Shah, both of North Bergen, N.J., and Pritisha
Patel, of Groton, Conn., were apprehended following a joint investigation
by New Jersey Taxation agents and their counterparts at the Federal
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATFE).
The
purpose of the operation was to identify "middlemen" who were
purchasing contraband cigarettes and arranging for their sale to retail
vendors. On January 14, officers from New Jersey Taxation and the ATFE
monitored the sale of Virginia-stamped cigarettes to an undercover operative
in a shopping-center parking lot on Route 46 in Totowa, N.J. During
the arrest, 323 cartons of Virginia-stamped cigarettes were seized along
with Dipan Patel's vehicle, a 1999 Honda Civic, and $289 in currency.
In addition, a 2003 Nissan Altima was seized from Switu Shah. The vehicles,
money, and cigarettes are all subject to forfeiture to the State. A
previous undercover purchase from the suspects involved 50 cartons of
Delaware- and Virginia-stamped cigarettes.
William
McMahon, special agent in charge of the New York Field Division of ATFE,
stated, "We have always enjoyed an excellent working relationship
with New Jersey's Division of Taxation and, in particular, its Office
of Criminal Investigation. These arrests are a testament to the successful
level of cooperation that exists between our agencies."
The
New Jersey Division of Taxation's Office of Criminal Investigation charged
Dipan Patel with the sale of untaxed cigarettes, failure to keep records
with intent to evade the cigarette tax, engaging in conduct requiring
licensure, and possession of more than 20,000 untaxed cigarettes, all
of which are indictable offenses. Patel, Shah, and Patel were all additionally
charged with transportation and possession of contraband cigarettes,
failure to provide a consumer's license, and failure to provide required
invoices, all of which are disorderly persons offenses.
Judge
Corridino of Totowa Municipal Court released Pritisha Patel and Switu
Shah on their own recognizance but set bail at $50,000, with no 10-percent
option, on Dipan Patel, who was remanded to the Passaic County Jail.
Robert
K. Thompson, director of New Jersey's Division of Taxation, praised
the agents involved in the joint operation and stated his department's
commitment to battling this type of criminal activity in New Jersey.
"We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy for retail shops that
traffic illegal cigarettes and are targeting their suppliers with great
success," Thompson said. "By aggressively pursuing those who
facilitate the sale of contraband, we are protecting the interests of
State taxpayers and residents."
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