From: Simms Showers, LLP
Virginia Cigarette Trafficking
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Cigarette Trafficking is a Growing Concern for the Virginia State Crime Commission
According to Virginia’s State Crime Commission, up to 20,000 cartons of cigarettes are illegally trafficked each week, resulting in $55 million in sales and $10 million in profit. Also according to the Virginia State Crime Commission, certain gangs use the profits from illegal cigarette trafficking to fund other illegal endeavors, such as human trafficking prostitution rings. As such, prosecutors, jury members, and judges are heavily inclined to reach a guilty verdict and throw the defendant behind bars for as long as possible. However, an experienced attorney, who has a history of successfully representing clients who have been charged with trafficking, will be able to mount a defense worthy of defeating the state’s best prosecutors.
