Federal authorities are rounding up 41 people indicted in an alleged $11 million Monroe County contraband cigarette ring and related crimes. None of those named lives in Monroe County, says the U.S. Justice Department for Pennsylvania’s Middle District and the federal Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The vast majority are from metropolitan New York. Two live in Philadelphia, one is from Allentown, one is from Michigan a ... Jump to full article >>

The state’s top judges grilled lawyers on both sides of the dispute over the collection of taxes on cigarettes sold by the Cayuga Indian Nation during a court session in Syracuse today. Lawyer Philip Spellane had barely begun making his argument in support of Cayuga and Seneca county officials’ actions against two Nation stores when Court of Appeals Judges Robert Smith and Victoria Graffeo began firing questions at him. Lawyer David DeBruin ... Jump to full article >>

A legal assault against the city’s upcoming ban on flavored smokeless tobacco got chewed up in court. Manhattan federal Judge Colleen McMahon refused to block the law — slated to go into effect in April — on grounds that local governments can regulate tobacco products not covered by federal law. “Congress expressed a clear and unmistakable preference for limiting the federal government’s role to setting a floor belo ... Jump to full article >>

On Tuesday afternoon, four Cuban goombahs were halfway into the third round of their daily dominoes game at Macabi Cigar Factory. Heli Montoto slammed one of the white pieces on the table and taunted his partner, Jacinto Perez, “Put on your batteries, man.” The two had already lost two games to Adrian Lopez and Jorge Azze, two other middle-aged, tanned exiles with huge cell phone holsters on their belts. Earlier in the day, El Nuevo ... Jump to full article >>

Illegal sales of tobacco to minors increased in some areas of Santa Barbara County in 2009, but the number decreased significantly in the city of Santa Barbara, according to data released Tuesday by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. Guadalupe was the only city in the county that didn’t sell any tobacco to a minor during undercover buy operations last year. Illegal sales increased in Goleta, Buellton, Lompoc, Solvang and uninco ... Jump to full article >>

Cuba seeks to pitch famous cigars beyond male base With anti-smoking laws and the global recession causing sales to fall, Cuba wants to develop a largely untapped market for its famous cigars — women. Habanos S.A. executives said on Monday sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 1 ... Jump to full article >>

Gov. Bill Richardson said Tuesday he will call a special session of the Legislature next week if lawmakers fail to agree on a state budget before adjourning on Thursday but there’s still time to reach a compromise on spending and tax increases. The Democratic governor said lawmakers should consider a small increase in New Mexico’s gross receipts tax — perhaps one-eighth or one-quarter of a cent — along with a tax on junk ... Jump to full article >>

THE LOCAL arm of cigarette maker Philip Morris International expects sales to the domestic market to grow by 2%-4% this year, better than the flat performance in 2009. But it warned that if the Finance department pushes through with a new system to track tax payments, industry-wide sales might fall further, after recording a 10%-15% decline last year. “I’m hoping this year will be better. We will grow in line with the industry … which ... Jump to full article >>

Pollsters in California say some suburban women support legalizing marijuana because they believe their adult children will be safer. Backers of the Tax and Regulate Initiative plan to submit their petitions to the secretary of state this month, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. They say they have more than 630,000 signatures, far more than the number needed to get the initiative on the ballot. The measure would allow local governments to ta ... Jump to full article >>

The Seneca Nation of Indians is publicly lobbying against a proposed federal regulation that it fears would severely damage Indian-operated cigarette sales and manufacturing operations. Billboards along the I-190 in downtown Buffalo make pleas to Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to vote against the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act bill that the Seneca Nation and other Indian tribes feel will all but shut down mail-order ... Jump to full article >>