Virginia man sentenced for cigarette smuggling charges

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Udayappan Subramanian, of Haymarket, Virginia, was sentenced to 12 months probation for unlawful cigarette smuggling, First Assistant United States Attorney Randy Bernard announced today.

Subramanian, age 41, pled guilty to one count of “Trafficking of Contraband Cigarettes” in June 2018. He transporting large quantities of contraband cigarettes across state lines for redistribution and sale.  The cigarettes were acquired in Virginia, where the tax rate for cigarettes is one of the lowest in the nation, and sold in other states, including New York, which has one of the nation’s highest tax rates.  The cigarettes were possessed and transported in West Virginia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Stein prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Homeland Security Investigations, the Frederick County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.