$16 Thousand In Cigarettes Seized

ANNAPOLIS ---Enforcement agents for Comptroller of Maryland William Donald Schaefer have arrested a father/son cigarette smuggling team, seizing more than $67,536 worth of untaxed cigarettes.

The arrest occurred last week after the agents stopped a 1994 Ford van on Allentown Road in Prince George's County, which contained 16,800 packs of untaxed cigarettes.

Agents arrested Michael Zekry, 57, and his son Johnathan Zekry, 22, both from Staten Island, New York. The two have been charged with transportation of untaxed cigarettes, a felony which carries a two-year jail sentence and/or a $50.00 per carton fine and with unlawful possession of untaxed cigarettes, a misdemeanor that carries a one-year jail sentence and/or $1,000 fine.

This bust marks the second cigarette smuggling arrest for Michael Zekry in Maryland. He was arrested on March 19, 2003 in Howard County when agents seized more than 7,190 packs of cigarettes valued at $28,903. Zekry was given two years probation and a $400 fine after pleading guilty in Howard County Circuit Court in August to possession of untaxed cigarettes.

During fiscal year 2003, the Comptroller's enforcement agents arrested 121 cigarette smugglers and seized 139,353 packs of untaxed cigarettes, valued at $560,199. Yesterday's stop brings the total to 174 arrests this fiscal year, with 231,420 packs of cigarettes seized at a value of $930,308.

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