ALBANY – State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is filing a lawsuit against United Parcel Service for allegedly shipping untaxed cigarettes in New York.
Schneiderman and New York City corporation counsel Zachary Carter plan to file a joint $180 million lawsuit Wednesday against UPS for allegedly delivering nearly 700,000 cartons (more than 78,500 illegal shipments in all) in New York between 2010 and 2014. The shipments add up to $29.7 million in lost tax revenue, according to a release.
The suit, which will be filed in Manhattan federal court, claims UPS shipped cigarettes from unlicensed vendors on Indian reservations. In some cases, UPS appears to have handed over the packages to children at various residences across the state, according to the lawsuit.
According to a report in the Albany Times Union, a UPS spokesperson says that UPS denies allegations that it has knowingly shipped cigarettes to consumers and will vigorously defend that position.
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