HOLYOKE, MASS. (WHDH) - Three Holyoke men have been accused of running a major illegal tobacco distribution network in New England.
Pedro T. Perez, 54; Pedro Dejesus Perez , Jr., 21; and Saturino Maldonado, 46; all of Holyoke, were indicted Thursday on charges of possession with intent to sell 12,000 or more unstamped cigarettes, possession of counterfeit stamps, tax evasion and conspiracy.
Maldonado was also charged with possession with intent to sell.
They will be arraigned in Hampden at a later date.
The charges are a result of an investigation that revealed Perez regularly delivered black trash bags full of cartons and half cases of illegal cigarettes to people and stores in western Massachusetts, Dorchester, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Maldonado and Dejesus Perez allegedly assisted Perez with transporting and delivering the trash bags.
In May 2016, police found 1,764 carton of untaxed cigarettes, $22,000 in cash, and counterfeit excise tax stamps.
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