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Rhode Island Man Charged in $1.2M Cigarette Smuggling Ring
A superseding federal indictment returned by a grand jury in Providence names eight individuals and expands the scope of federal charges in a complex interstate contraband cigarette trafficking conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that the group, led by Wissam Khalil, 40, of Central Falls, sold over $1.2 million in contraband cigarettes in Rhode Island.
The superseding indictment also includes charges related to alleged conspiracies to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Social Security Administration.
The investigation, which began in 2013, was led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, in conjunction with the Rhode Island State Police and the Boston office of the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
The indictment charges Wissam Khalil, his brothers Bassam Khalil, 49, and Najd Khalil, 25, of Pawtucket, as well as several others, with various crimes, including conspiracy to engage in money laundering, money laundering, and structuring.
The investigation has also uncovered allegations of food stamp fraud and the unauthorized acquisition of food stamp funds, which are being pursued as part of the superseding indictment.
The superseding indictment was announced by Peter F. Neronha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island; Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office of the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McLaughlin and William J. Ferland, and is being investigated by the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Rhode Island State Police, and the U.S. Food and Nutrition Service, Office of the Inspector General.
Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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