Conspirators
Paid an Undercover Agent $1,770,230 for More Than 17 Million Contraband
Cigarettes
GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Peter
J. Messitte sentenced Amir Miljkovic, age 40, of Bowie, Maryland, owner of
Prestige Auto Glass located in College Park, Maryland, today to 30 months in
prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to
interfere with commerce by extortion under color of official right, arising
from a scheme involving the transport and distribution of untaxed cigarettes.
Judge Messitte also sentenced Chun Chen, aka Eddy Chen, age 36, of Bowie,
Maryland, today to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised
release, for his participation in the conspiracy. Judge Messitte also entered
orders that Miljkovic pay restitution and forfeit $230,580, including $183,799
that was seized from his home at his arrest; and that Chen pay restitution and
forfeit $213,000, including $117,800 that was seized from his home at his
arrest.
The sentences were announced by United
States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent
in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and
Special Agent in Charge Rick A. Raven of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal
Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
“The focus on cigarette smuggling is one
of several initiatives that the IRS is partnering with local other federal
agencies to combat,” said IRS Special Agent in Charge Rick A. Raven. “The state
revenue loss in taxes is substantial in these tough economic times.”
According to their plea agreements, in
June 2009, Miljkovic began discussing the transport and sale of untaxed
cigarettes across state lines with a source and an undercover agent working
with the FBI. Miljkovic stated that he had an associate, a Prince George’s
County Police officer named “Richard” who, using his official police authority,
could protect shipments of contraband cigarettes and the proceeds and monies
that were to be transacted. Shortly thereafter, Miljkovic introduced former
Prince George’s County Police Officer Richard Delabrer to the source and
undercover agent.
By July 2009, Delabrer and Miljkovic
began purchasing contraband cigarettes from the undercover agent and reselling
them to Chen and Chong Chin Kim. Chen owned a carry-out store in Maryland. Kim
was a Prince George’s County Police officer. Chen and Kim sold the contraband
cigarettes to individuals in New York, where local taxes on cigarettes are more
than $8 per pack. According to his plea agreement, Delabrer assured the
undercover agent that he would be armed to protect against robberies and was
seen in possession of one or more guns during some of these transactions.
Miljkovic accompanied Delabrer during these protection runs, and both were paid
cash for their protection activities.
To obtain the contraband, Miljkovic and
Delabrer traveled to Virginia to pick up a rented truck, which had been loaded
with the cigarettes by the undercover agent, and drove the loads to a storage
unit in Maryland obtained by Kim and others.
The conspirators conducted at least 33
illicit transactions with the undercover agent and the source involving the
sale of contraband cigarettes. Miljkovic was involved in each transaction. The
first cigarette transaction on July 23, 2009 involved a shipment of 14 master
cases, each containing at least 12,000 cigarettes. The largest shipment, on
November 6, 2009, involved 160 master cases. Altogether, Miljkovic, Chen,
Delabrar, and Kim paid the undercover agent $1,770,230 for 1,420 master cases
of contraband cigarettes, for a total of more than 17 million contraband
cigarettes.
Conspirators Richard Delabrer, age 46,
of Laurel, Maryland, and Chong Chin Kim, age 44, of Odenton, Maryland, pleaded
guilty to their participation in the extortion conspiracy and are scheduled to
be sentenced on July 23, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. and June 25, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.,
respectively.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein
praised the FBI and IRS for their work in these investigations. Mr. Rosenstein
thanked Assistant United States Attorneys James A. Crowell, IV, A. David
Copperthite, and Sujit Raman, who prosecuted the cases.
Mr. Rosenstein, Mr. McFeely and Mr.
Raven expressed their appreciation to Prince George’s County Chief Mark Magaw
for the assistance that he and his department provided.
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