Connecticut’s efforts to crack down on possession and sales of untaxed tobacco and cigarettes has yielded their first arrests, authorities say.
The state Department of Revenue Services’ (DRS) newly formed Tobacco Enforcement Unit on Sept. 1 arrested two Connecticut men on charges related to possession/sale of untaxed tobacco and fraudulent tax stamps, DRS Commissioner Kevin B. Sullivan said Wednesday.
Mohammad Khan, 34, of Hamden, was charged with one count of possession of untaxed cigarettes, an infraction, authorities said.
Nestor Collazo, 63, of Bridgeport was charged with two counts of possession of fraudulent tax stamps, a class D felony, and one count of possession/sale of untaxed cigarettes, a misdemeanor.
Collazo is free on a $5,000 bond and is due to appear in court on Sept. 15. If convicted of possessing fake tax stamps, Collazo faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, or both. If convicted of possession/sale of untaxed cigarettes, he faces a potential fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in prison, or both.
Kahn appeared in Bridgeport court on Sept. 11 and faces a potential fine of up to $90, authorities said.
According to state tax investigators, state agents were conducting surveillance in Bridgeport when they witnessed Khan and Collazo allegedly engage in an illegal cigarette transaction.
As part of the arrests, agents seized 85 cartons of untaxed cigarettes stamped with counterfeit Connecticut tax stamps, authorities said. Agents also seized a 2004 Volvo SUV and more than $3,700 in cash.
“Possession of contraband cigarettes and fraudulent tax stamps is a criminal enterprise that DRS and the state of Connecticut take very seriously,’’ Sullivan said in a statement. “We are putting criminals on notice: We are watching and this activity won’t be tolerated here.”
