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October 18, 2013
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 23
. . Witnesses Allegedly Targeted
FROM PAGE 22 allegedly conducted the vast cigarette smuggling operation out of their Ocean City properties, but 14 other alleged co-conspirators, from transporters to distributors to resellers were also rounded up at locations all over the mid-Atlantic region. According to the New York Attorney General’s Office, the Ramadans and their co-conspirators allegedly funneled thousands of cartons of untaxed smokes and millions of dollars in ill-gotten revenue through Ocean City and Worcester County from a wholesaler in Virginia to a distribution warehouse in Delaware. From there, the illegal, untaxed cigarettes were distributed to retail outlets all over New York City and upstate New York with significant mark-ups. On May 13, a BASEL RAMADAN New York grand jury handed down formal indictments against the Ramadans and their alleged 14 co-conspirators. The 300-plus page grand jury indictment includes 244 total counts and another 243 “pattern acts,” which attempt to establish the pattern of the operation over several years. Also included in the indictment are numerous “overt acts,” which include recorded phone conversations and movements of the alleged co-conspirators. According to the indictment, the Ramadans were successful for a long time in disguising the illicit proceeds and funneling through local banking institutions and allowed them to continue to finance the purchase of thousands of cartons of cigarettes from Virginia wholesaler Cooper Booth Inc. According to the New York Attorney General’s Office, the Ramadan brothers furthered the criminal enterprise by depositing over $55 million from their untaxed cigarettes into small financial institutions in and around Ocean City. They then used that money to purchase additional cigarettes for illegal sale, continuing and expanding the operation. In the release issued yesterday, the New York Attorney General’s Office estimated the cigarette smuggling operation laundered more than $55 million in illegal proceeds and dodged over $80 million in New York taxes. Schneiderman said on Thursday the latest alleged murder-for-hire plot carried out by Basel Ramadan and Odeh compounded the already serious case against them. “These two individuals cheated New York taxpayers out of millions of dollars in tax revenue and then tried to cover up their dangerous and lucrative smuggling operations, which hurt New York businesses, by committing the ultimate crime,” he said. Following the original indictments in May, there were not-so-subtle references to a possible link between the co-conspirators and known terrorist groups, fueling speculation many of the millions of dollar generated by the smuggling enterprise could have ended up in the hands of terrorists. No firm link has been established, although the investigation is ongoing. At a press conference in May following the raids in Ocean City and elsewhere, Kelly referenced the possible connection. “The association of some of the suspects in this case to the Ari Halbestram’s killer, the Blind Sheik and a top Hamas official concerns us,” said Kelly. “While it hasn’t been established yet where the illicit proceeds ended up, we’re concerned because similar schemes have been used in the past to help fund terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.” Basel Ramadan has been held at Rikers Island without bond since being arraigned on the initial indictment in May, while Samer Ramadan has been held on a $15 million bond. Odeh and many of the alleged co-conspirators have also been held at Rikers Island in lieu of $500,000 bonds. The Ramadans and their 14 alleged co-conspirators each face from eight to 25 years for the original indictment. Basel Ra-madan and Odeh now face an additional 25 years for the alleged murder-for-hire plot.
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