Phony Stogie Makers Busted in Hialeah
Multi-million dollar operation broken up in police raid
By JEFF BURNSIDE and BRIAN HAMACHER
Updated 7:56 AM EST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009
A South Florida multi-million dollar phony cigar operation went up in smoke yesterday when it was raided by law enforcement officials after a five-month investigation.
At least one man was arrested and another taken into custody after the raid on two Hialeah warehouses that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said were some of the biggest counterfeit cigar operations in the country.
"This is very satisfying," said Jorge Espinosa, a lawyer representing many of the upscale cigar brands that were being counterfeited by the operation. "They're counterfeiting cigars and they're using my client's famous trademarks to do so."
Among the items confiscated were fake cigar boxes, made soo well they look better than the original in some cases, a pallet full of phony cigar labels, and a half-million dollar printer used to make the labels and cigar tubes.
The fake packaging was being moved elsewhere to merge with fake cigars, then transported and sold throughout the country.
"The legitimate industry is suffering because of this illegitimate business," said private investigator Eladio Paez.
"We're talking millions of dollars," said Espinosa. "You have to understand that what is a box of cheap 25-cent cigars they can sell for $300."
And experts said some of the money from the illegal operation goes to organized crime and even back to criminals in Cuba.
"We believe that some money flows back into Cuba since a lot of the original labels and tags come from the island," Espinosa said, adding that his clients weren't stopping the fight against the phony stogie makers.
"The message is, you keep counterfeiting our product, we're coming after you. And we will put you out of business."
First Published: Nov 6, 2009 7:34 AM EST
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