BROOKLYN, NY. - A West Ocean City man accused of being the ring leader of the smuggling of more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes into New York state has been convicted of racketeering, but he was acquitted of charges that he plotted to get witnesses killed.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says Basel Ramadan, 44, was found guilty Tuesday in Brooklyn on 198 counts, including enterprise corruption, money laundering, and numerous tax crimes. The trial lasted nearly ten weeks and included evidence from hundreds of wiretaps, Schneiderman says. Ramadan faces a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
"This individual led a criminal enterprise that stretched from Maryland to New York, flooded our state with millions of cheap cigarettes, and cheated New Yorkers out of tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue," Attorney General Schneiderman said. "Not only did this enterprise put law-abiding businesses in New York at a competitive disadvantage, but it increased the possibility of violence that comes with any type of smuggling operation. I'm deeply gratified that justice has been served."
Ramadan was arrested in May 2013. Through the use of electronic surveillance, physical surveillance and the review and analysis of financial records in conjunction with other investigative tools, the Attorney General's investigation revealed that Ramadan and his brother obtained cigarettes from a wholesaler, Cooper Booth Wholesale, Inc., in Virginia and stored them in a public storage facility in Delaware. Several times a week, the investigation revealed that an alleged co-conspirator, Adel Abuzahrieh of Brooklyn, drove with tens of thousands of dollars in cash from New York to Delaware where he gave the Ramadans the cash in exchange for cigarettes. Beyond the $55 million in purchases to cigarettes, the Ramadans have generated more than $10 million in profits from their illegal activities, authorities say. Abuzahreih's case is still awaiting trial.
Ramadan was the leader of a 16 member criminal drug ring charged in May 2013 in a 244-count indictment with enterprise corruption, money laundering and related tax crimes. Six defendants have previously pleaded guilty, according to the State Attorney General's office, including Ramadan's brother, Samir Ramadan. Samir Ramadan, 40, pleaded guilty to the top enterprise corruption charge in 2014, is serving a prison term of up to six years.
Basel Ramadan was later charged in an alleged murder scheme, but acquitted of those charges Tuesday.
