Fla. wants citizens to report tobacco tax cheats

Florida is trying to enlist citizens in a campaign against tobacco tax cheats.
The state made the trade in illegal cigarettes more lucrative this year by increasing the cigarette tax by $1 a pack.
The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco on Wednesday announced that it'll begin paying informants up to 50 percent of fines collected for illegal cigarette sales.
The agency also has set up a toll-free hot line to report sales of cigarettes without the required tax stamp.

Galveston smoking ban amended, OK for tobacco shops

Smokers in Galveston will be allowed to light up in certain public spots.
The smoking ban adopted in July by the Galveston City Council, and set to take effect Jan. 1, has been amended to allow smoking in stores that sell tobacco and cigars.
A final vote came Thursday.
The change will allow smoking in tobacco and cigar stores, but those businesses are banned from selling alcohol or allowing drinking on the premises. Tobacco shops must install ventilation systems and be off limits to anyone younger than 18.

Staten Island man sentenced in stickup at Va. cigarette distributor

A Staten Island man has been sentenced to six years in prison -- and with a potential for 22 more years if he misbehaves -- for his role in an armed stickup in Virginia that netted cigarettes and cash.
Ariel Peisahovish, 26, was sentenced in Stafford Circuit Court on robbery, abduction and firearms charges, a court spokeswoman said today.
In September, Peisahovish cut a plea deal stemming from the April 10 incident at a Stafford cigarette distributor. Stafford is about midway between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va.
Peisahovish's two accomplices, Vyacheslav Elentulch, 24, and Dmitry Khavkin, 26, both of Brooklyn, also cut plea deals. Authorities did not provide a street address for Peisahovish.
According to prosecutor Eric Olsen, Peisahovish and Elentulch pulled a gun on a clerk after Khavkin had gained entry before the store opened. Khavkin knew the clerk.
Peisahovish and Elentulch then tied the clerk's arms to a chair with packing tape and loaded the loot into a van they had rolled up to the store, the prosecutor said.
Before leaving, the suspects took the clerk's driver's license and threatened her.
Employees at a nearby business saw the suspects leave, followed the van to get the plate number and called police. Officers stopped the van as it headed north on Interstate 95.
Cops found almost 1,200 cartons of cigarettes, $4,000 cash and two guns inside, said Olsen.

Man found guilty of smuggling E3.9m cigarettes

A man has been arrested for transporting 499 master cartons of cigarettes worth E3.9 million without the necessary papers from the customs and excise department. He was sentenced to 16 months in jail or a fine of E3 500.
Carlos Gil (28) was facing three counts was found guilty in all of them . He committed the crimes on December 8, 2008. He appeared before Nhlangano Magistrate Mandla Mkhaliphi where the Crown was represented by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Nkosinathi Maseko. Gil was represented by lawyer Chicken Dlamini.
On count one, Gil has been found guilty that on December 8, 2008 he was found driving a white Isuzu truck registered SD 393 MG with the 499 master cartons of cigarettes all valued at E3.9 million.
On count two, Gil has been found guilty of an offence where he was accused of being found driving the same vehicle carrying the said goods without the necessary documents from the Customs and Excise and these being goods worth E3.9 million.
He was arrested by Lavumisa Police.
In regard to count one, Magistrate Mkhaliphi sentenced Gil to seven months in jail or E1 500 fine. The magistrate also sentenced the accused to seven months in jail or E1 500 fine on the second count. On the last count, he was sentenced to two months in jail or pay a fine of E500.
The brands that Gil was transporting in the truck are:
144 YES master cartons, 290 BOSS master cartons and 65 ACE master cartons.

Tar Heel tobacco growers vote to continue funding research on crop

North Carolina tobacco growers have agreed to continue funding tobacco-agricultural research for another six years.
More than 92 percent of tobacco growers in the state who voted favored the North Carolina Tobacco Research Check-off Referendum, which calls for growers to allocate 10 cents per 100 pounds of flue-cured and burley tobacco to tobacco research and education. The referendum is voted on every six years and must be approved by two-thirds of voters to pass.
The funds are collected at buying stations by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and then allocated to North Carolina State University by the North Carolina Tobacco Research Commission. Since 1991, the program has raised nearly $300,000 a year to support projects at NCSU.
"The tobacco check-off funds have resulted in many important developments for the state's burley and flue-cured tobacco farmers, including variety development, improved nitrogen management, advanced curing technologies and breakthroughs in pest and disease management," said Johnny Wynne, dean of NCSU's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Tobacco growers have been forced to fund nearly all research into improved tobacco agriculture practices. The federal government ceased tobacco research funding in 1994, and state support has declined due to budget deficits.
"This referendum is critical for North Carolina tobacco growers to remain competitive in the world market," said Keith Oakley, president of the North Carolina Tobacco Foundation. "By voting to continue this self-help program, the state's tobacco growers are making an important investment in the future of tobacco production, research and education in North Carolina."