Albany County Woman Arrested In Trafficking Of Untaxed Cigarettes

ALBANY, NY (04/22/2010)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Jamie Woodward today announced the culmination of an undercover investigation of a cigarette bootlegger operating in the Capital District resulting in the arrest of Pearl McLaughlin, 67, of 65 Hudson Avenue, Green Island, on felony tax crime charges.

McLaughlin appeared April 16 before Green Island Town Justice Joseph A. Liotta and was charged with Unlawful Possession of Untaxed Cigarettes and Criminal Tax Fraud, both class D felonies, punishable by up to seven years in state prison.

McLaughlin was released on her own recognizance and is scheduled to reappear in Town Court on May 11.

According to court documents, an authorized search conducted at McLaughlin's home by the Tax Department's Criminal Investigations Division and New York State Police resulted in the seizure of 454 cartons of cigarettes. By possessing these bootleg cigarettes, McLaughlin allegedly evaded an estimated $14,000 in unpaid state and local taxes.

Acting Commissioner Woodward said, "This arrest should serve as a warning to others who may be tempted to engage in trafficking in untaxed cigarettes. The defendant faces substantial prison time and our department is committed to doing all that it can to insure that other traffickers in bootleg cigarettes face a similar fate. We will continue to work with District Attorneys such as P. David Soares to hold bootleggers accountable and we thank him for his aggressive prosecution of this case."

Acting Commissioner Woodward also thanked investigators from the New York State Police and staff from the Albany County District Attorney's office for their assistance in the investigation.

The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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