From: Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office/Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ATALLA age 40, of Wilmington, North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes and evading the federal excise tax imposed on tobacco.
U.S. District Martin L.C. Feldman sentenced ATALLA one (1) year and one (1) day term of imprisonment to be followed by a two (2) year term of supervised release. ATALLA was additionally ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $ 235,698.39.
According to previously filed court documents, co-defendants Justin Brown, Joshua Carthon and Garrett Partman, all local law enforcement officers at the time of the Indictment, were utilized to protect and transport the shipment of contraband cigarettes across state lines. ATALLA, along with co-defendants Anwar Abdelmajid-Ahmad and Jadallah Saed, would then distribute and sell the contraband cigarettes in North Carolina and other states where the cigarette taxes are higher than Louisiana, resulting in a total tax loss to the federal and state governments of between $400,000 and $900,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Division and Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Tracey N. Knight and Irene Gonzalez are in charge of the prosecution.
