Kenmore, Washington’s Han Bui, the owner of Lovely Nails and Beauty Salon, has been handed a heavy sentence for her illegal cigarette trafficking operations. Today, U.S. District Court in Seattle sentenced Bui, 45, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Bui to pay approximately $250,000 in tax penalties and assessments.
Bui pleaded guilty on February 12, 2013, to trafficking in counterfeit cigarettes. U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced the sentence, noting that the proceeds will go to the State of Washington to compensate for taxes lost due to the sale of the counterfeit cigarettes.
Records reveal that Bui and her husband were identified as the top illegal importers of cigarettes from Vietnam during a coordinated investigation. The contraband cigarettes, sold under U.S. brand names and packaging, originated in Vietnam without payment of federal or state cigarette taxes. Investigators estimate the tax loss to exceed $450,000.
When law enforcement executed a search warrant at her home in July 2011, they found over 400,000 contraband cigarettes, $115,500 in cash, and a Lexus SUV—admittedly purchased with proceeds from her criminal activities. Both the cash and the SUV are being forfeited to the government.
Prosecutors requested a two-year prison term for Bui, citing her involvement in importing hundreds of thousands of contraband cigarettes between 2009 and 2011. They argued that the illegal sale of cigarettes outside legal channels led to an increased risk of minors obtaining them. Bui was found with over 2,000 cartons of cigarettes during the raid.
The ATF, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Washington State Liquor Control Board conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Darwin Roberts is handling the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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