General Discussion

KamaAina

(78,249 posts) Fri Dec 5, 2014, 06:59 PM Dec 2014

White NYC man busted with 500,000 untaxed cigarettes in his van, not choked to death

http://nypost.com/2014/11/07/nyc-man-busted-with-500000-untaxed-cigarettes-in-his-van/

A Staten Island man was busted Thursday after police discovered thousands of dollars in untaxed cigarettes in his van, law enforcement sources said.

Michael Zekry, 67, was stopped in New Springville by police who were on his tail for several months, and busted him with over 2,500 cartons of untaxed cigarettes, according to a criminal court complaint....

“I go to Virginia every 10 weeks, I make $5,000 to $7,000 on a load, a carton sells between $40 to $50, you got a good one! I’m out of business now,” he told arresting officers....

In July, Eric Garner tragically died after cops put him in an illegal choke-hold when they tried to place him under arrest for selling untaxed cigarettes.

Zekry:

Eric Garner:

9 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

White NYC man busted with 500,000 untaxed cigarettes in his van, not choked to death (Original Post) KamaAina Dec 2014 OP

I am so sick of seeing pictures of dead black folk... NoJusticeNoPeace Dec 2014 #1

29 cents. KamaAina Dec 2014 #2

Are you another fan of Rand Paul? RoccoR5955 Dec 2014 #8

Hardly. KamaAina Dec 2014 #9

Please don't buy into rand's "tax" argument ... 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #3

Good point. (nt) enough Dec 2014 #4

This is why the cannabis clarion call to "legalize and tax" gives me chills. MindPilot Dec 2014 #5

Isn't marijuana being illegal an even bigger "tool"? Throd Dec 2014 #6

Yes, but if it were legal... MindPilot Dec 2014 #7

NoJusticeNoPeace

(5,018 posts)

1. I am so sick of seeing pictures of dead black folk...

Reply to KamaAina (Original post)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:03 PM

Dec 2014

I still cant imagine what it must have been like to be choked to death, deprived of air (the scariest thought possible for a human beiing and for what.

FOR WHAT

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)

2. 29 cents.

Reply to NoJusticeNoPeace (Reply #1)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:05 PM

Dec 2014

The cigarette tax in NYC is $5.85 a pack -- which works out to 29 1/4 cents per ciggie.

RoccoR5955

(12,471 posts)

8. Are you another fan of Rand Paul?

Reply to KamaAina (Reply #2)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 10:09 PM

Dec 2014

You sure are doing a good job of taking his talking point.

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)

9. Hardly.

Reply to RoccoR5955 (Reply #8)

Sat Dec 6, 2014, 12:22 AM

Dec 2014

The Rug Doctor presumably thinks it's A-OK for a black man to die over 29 cents.

1StrongBlackMan

(31,849 posts)

3. Please don't buy into rand's "tax" argument ...

Reply to KamaAina (Original post)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:07 PM

Dec 2014

the cigarettes that Eric garner was selling were not untaxed. He purchased the pack and paid every dime of the tax owed.

enough

(13,259 posts)

4. Good point. (nt)

Reply to 1StrongBlackMan (Reply #3)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:30 PM

Dec 2014

MindPilot

(12,693 posts)

5. This is why the cannabis clarion call to "legalize and tax" gives me chills.

Reply to KamaAina (Original post)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:44 PM

Dec 2014

High taxes on tobacco and booze are sin taxes that do absolutely nothing to mitigate their use, they serve only to punish the consumer of such products. And fuel a black market.

If a revenue stream is the carrot for cannabis legalization, the result will be exactly the same, and the police will have yet another "tool" to fuck with poor and the minorities.

Throd

(7,208 posts)

6. Isn't marijuana being illegal an even bigger "tool"?

Reply to MindPilot (Reply #5)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:48 PM

Dec 2014

MindPilot

(12,693 posts)

7. Yes, but if it were legal...

Reply to Throd (Reply #6)

Fri Dec 5, 2014, 07:59 PM

Dec 2014

the lower-priced black market product would be used by those the police wanted to target--at least that would be the assumption.

Point being that the high taxation works to keep it illegal for certain segments of the population.

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