The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced today that its Cigarette Strike Force arrested a Brooklyn resident for illegally storing, trafficking, and selling contraband cigarettes.

The defendant was identified as Farouq A. Al-Mathil, 40, of 370 Livingston Street, who was arrested June 23 near a Red Hook storage facility located on Lorraine Street in Brooklyn.  He was booked at the New York City Police Department’s 76^th Precinct.

Al-Mathil was charged with multiple felonies, including criminal tax fraud, possession and transport for sale of 30,000 or more cigarettes, and attempting to evade the state and city taxes imposed on those cigarettes.

The Tax Department recovered 898 cartons of brand-name cigarettes – with a sales value of at least $89,000 – that were either Virginia-stamped or stamped with counterfeit New York State and New York City cigarette tax stamps.  The Department also seized various documents and ledgers and approximately $5,500 as evidence.

The case will be prosecuted by the Kings County District Attorney.  The defendant’s court date has yet to be set.

A criminal complaint is an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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