| September 24, 2021 For Immediate Release |
Office of Congressional and Public Affairs |
Tobacco Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Evade Federal Excise Taxes on Cigars
FY—21—2
On Thursday, September 23, 2021, Akrum Alrahib, 43, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. As part of his guilty plea, Alrahib, President of Trendsettah USA, Inc., admitted that he participated in a fraudulent scheme to avoid the payment of millions of dollars in excise taxes on imported tobacco products.
Alrahib’s partner in the fraudulent scheme, was charged in a separate case (16-cr-20838). He pled guilty, was sentenced to four years in prison, and ordered to pay over $9 million in restitution.
The full press release on Alrahib’s plea can be found here. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20165.
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Page last reviewed: September 24, 2021
Page last updated: September 24, 2021
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