LEXINGTON, Ky.-- A Chicago man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison in a cigarette smuggling case that federal prosecutors described as one of the largest contraband tobacco cases in the region.
Authorities say Howard Mui of Chicago admitted he bought 9 million cigarettes in Kentucky and resold them in Chicago and New York City, which have much higher cigarette taxes.
The Kentucky tax is 30 cents on each of the 455,000 packs Mui acknowledged buying. Chicago's tax is $3.66 per pack and New York's is $4.25.
Court records show Mui made $1.27 million on the smuggling venture.
A judge on Monday also ordered him to repay the lost tax revenue to Illinois and New York.
Mui's lawyer said the temptation for profit was apparently too much for his client to resist.
--Associated Press
i know it sounds tempting when you look at the taxes
Hmm. Let me see: smuggler goes to jail for selling untaxed cigarettes in cities where they tax beyond belief. Seems to me the idiots that pass overwhelming taxes should go to jail too, since that's simply legalized politically-correct theft. What a world.
I don't blame the man-WE HAVE BEEN TAXED TO Death-
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO-NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTAION---MAYBE ITS TIME FOR ANOTHER BOSTON TEA PARTY..............
Now everyone who smokes (or not) be honest with the high tax here and in New York wouldn't you smuggle smokes for the profit? I know given the chance I sure as heck would!! But really I have read and seen child molesters get less time the he did!!
Its time for reform-Tax reform-by the way-
WHERE IS ALL OUR TAX DOLLORS GONE-
1 Hired truck programs
"the temptation for profit was apparently too much for his client to resist."
And too much for New York and Chicago as well.
These items should be taxed the same as everything else.
Up in smoke
The man is a saint and if it were up to me I'd offer him a Knighthood.
People have amused themselves by jumping up and down on smokers for the last decade or so. I hope they raise the cigarette taxes more so criminals will have more incentive to enter the market. After all they might be running short of money if the drug warriors ever win. It's nice to know society is providing a backup plan for criminals.
You have to be crazy or rich to buy anything in Cook County. We do all our shopping elsewhere, including online. This guy should have bought in South Carolina where taxes are only 7 cents a pack and he probably wouldn't have got caught.
Let's see. Large companies outsource jobs and products to asia and india. Costing americans millions in wages, benefits and growth. Costing the goverment billions in lost payroll taxes. Yet they go after a create business guy who exploited the system, instead of big business.
Can't blame a guy for trying however, it may have cost him that much in gas to go there and bring them back.....
I don't blame him and agree with Clyde. no wonder everyone is broke except the politicians. makes you wonder what everything would cost without taxes. and they still say there broke. time to move to Kentucky, gas is probably a dollar cheaper over there to. we need a Chicago Tea Party like it was at the begining in Boston. were taxed to death
Tobacco users are addicts as surely as those who use cocaine, heroin and meth. Placing punitive taxes on tobacco invites the very same sort of criminal behavior that we already see with illegal drugs. Further it is totally hypocritical for states to say they want to reduce tobacco use via high taxation and then take the revenue derived from those high taxes and not use it to treat and prevent tobacco use.
We agree with Dan O and Papabear. It appears in Illinois, especialy Cook County - or known in the country as Crook County - the high taxes are the result of Stroger and other politicians. Maybe it's time to move them out before we get taxed on the taxes. Taxation without representation - our forefathers are probably turning over in their graves. New fresh blood for the people, not the politicians lining their pockets, mismanagement, kickbacks, or favoring family over other qualified candidates. John Q Public has to stay within their budget, so why does the gov't think it's ok that they don't and just tax the people more when they can't make ends meet. You can't draw blood out of a turnip and we don't have a money tree in our backyard. Do you? A Chicago Tea Party isn't a bad idea.
Tobacco users are addicts as surely as those who use cocaine, heroin and meth. Placing punitive taxes on tobacco invites the very same sort of criminal behavior that we already see with illegal drugs. Further it is totally hypocritical for states to say they want to reduce tobacco use via high taxation and then take the revenue derived from those high taxes and not use it to treat and prevent tobacco use.
thank god someone is taking a stand against sin tax what happens when nobody buys cigs whom are they to tax next, this tax on people is not only immoral its a disgrace to the American public, people hear whats going on tax me but what happens to the budget when you run out of smokers, don't come crying to me me you cant base a government on tobacco tax!
I would love to see a USA tea party and really put it to the political kings and queens. Let’s do it.
This is political hypocracy at its best, I agree.
HEY SCOTT..
How dare you compare cigarette smokers to drug addicts!
Obviously your life has never been torn apart by a hard core drug user.
At some point, smuggling becomes a righteous act.
Are we past that point?
Loriella.
Tobacco is a drug, as powerful or moreso than many illegal drugs.
You would see it wreak similar havoc if it were made illegal as well.
Scott has an excellent point about the illegality of drugs creating more criminal behavior and harm in the world.