| August 11, 2022 For Immediate Release | Office of Congressional and Public Affairs 202-453-2180 |
Two Sentenced For Evading Tobacco Excise Taxes
FY—22—6
On August 5, 2022, Hope Carbone, age 72, and Donna Venturini, age 70, both of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, were sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution for conspiring to evade federal excise taxes on imported large cigars.
Carbone and Venturini previously admitted to conspiring with Jose Dominguez, the owner of cigar manufacturer Victor Sinclair Cigars, to evade the federal excise taxes imposed on the importation of Victor Sinclair manufactured cigars from 2009 to 2011. Carbone and Venturini served as the U.S. importer for Victor Sinclair Cigars, which is located in the Dominican Republic.
Jose Dominguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to evade federal excise taxes in June 2022 and is awaiting sentencing.
A copy of the press release is available here on the website for the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.