Cigar Kingpin Bryant Hit with $13M Tax Evasion Charges

MIAMI, FL – Gitano Pierre Bryant Jr., 55, of Palmetto Bay, is facing federal charges after allegedly dodging over $13 million in federal excise taxes on imported cigars. The owner of Havana ’59 Cigar Company is accused of a long-running scheme to defraud the government, even after a previous conviction for similar offenses.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, alongside the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced the charges against Bryant. The feds allege that between 2008 and 2014, while Havana 59 was a licensed importer of “large cigars” (those weighing more than three pounds per 1,000), Bryant systematically underpaid the required federal taxes.

According to the criminal complaint, Bryant didn’t just short the government – he actively tried to cover it up. Investigators claim he altered documents to conceal the true price paid for foreign-made cigars, effectively cooking the books. This isn’t a first-time offense either. The complaint details that Bryant continued his underpayment scheme even after being convicted and placed on federal probation in May 2015 for evading taxes on cigarettes. Some people just don’t learn.

The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering. Between January 2012 and June 2016 alone, authorities say Bryant evaded over $13 million in Federal Tobacco Excise Tax. He’s been slapped with multiple charges, including violations of the Internal Revenue Code for falsifying records, refusing to pay taxes, and willfully attempting to evade tax payments. Specifically, he faces charges under Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5762(a)(2), 5762(a)(3), and 7201 – each carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Adding to his legal woes, Bryant is also charged with aiding and abetting the presentation of fraudulent documents, a violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2), punishable by up to three years imprisonment and another $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer praised the work of the TTB and IRS-CI in building the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher B. Browne. A pre-trial detention hearing is scheduled for October 21, 2016, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in Miami.

It’s crucial to remember that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Bryant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Court documents related to this case can be found on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida website at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or through PACER at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and bring you updates as they develop.