Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

CONTRABAND SEIZURES – The Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) made eleven (11) contraband tobacco seizures and one (1) drug related seizure in the following jurisdictions between November 9th and December 21st, 2011: Eleven (11) contraband seizures in South Glengarry, Ontario; One (1) drug seizure in Cornwall, Ontario; These seizures resulted in the arrest of the following eight (8) individuals who have been charged with Possession of Unstamped Tobacco, contrary to Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001, and/or who are facing or have been charged under the provincial Tobacco Tax Act for possession of unmarked cigarettes: Cory Tarbell (age 35) from Akwesasne, Ontario; Martin Staats (age 43) from Ohsweken, Ontario; Nigel Robinson (age 41) and Stéphane Fournier (age 43), both from Cornwall, Ontario; Elliott Benchimol (age 31) from Toronto, Ontario; Jean-Paul Morrissette (age 23) from Montreal, Quebec; Igor Sokiryansky (age 36) from Thornhill, Ontario; and, Sean Laverdière-Tardif (age 18) from St-Zotique, Quebec. Raymond Gervais (age 45) from Cornwall, Ontario faces a charge of possession for the purposes of trafficking in cocaine. Also, these seizures resulted in the arrests of two (2) other individuals who are facing charges under the federal Excise Act, 2001 and/or the provincial Tobacco Tax Act for possession of unmarked cigarettes. The following items were seized during the above-mentioned events: Two (2) pick-up trucks, four (4) cars, and one (1) van; 18, 200 re-sealable bags and/or cartons each containing 200 contraband cigarettes; 2,000 re-sealable bags and/or cartons each containing 200 contraband flavored cigars; 12.7 grams of cocaine; and, 4.6 grams of marihuana;

SPEED IN ZONE – Massena Village police ticketed Dawn E. Lazore, 40, of Akwesasne at 12:25 p.m. Tuesday on East Hatfield Street for speed in zone.

STOP SIGN – Massena Village police ticketed Claudette J. Tarbell, 43, of Rooseveltown for a stop sign violation at 4:55 p.m. Tuesday on Stephenville Road.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT - Massena Village police charged Paris A. Francis, 42, of 43 Chief Thompson Lane, Cornwall, Ont., with disorderly conduct at 1:22 a.m. Monday on North Main Street.

AGGRAVATED UNLICENSED OPERATION – St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputies charged Joanie E. Benedict, 23, of 241 Frogtown Road, Akwesasne, with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle following a traffic stop on state Route 37 in the town of Hammond. Benedict has been stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol and then was turned over to sheriff’s deputies after agents determined she didn’t have a license.

CRIMINAL POSSESSION – A Cornwall man was charged Monday by New York state police with fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana. Craig F. Roundpoint, 25, is accused of possessing 57 grams of marijuana at the U.S. Port of Entry, troopers said. He was arraigned in Louisville Town Court.

ISSUING BAD CHECKS – On December 19, 2011 the Mohawk Tribal Police arrested Robert D. Mott of Moira, on an active arrest warrant issued by the Bombay Town Court for issuing bad checks. Mott was arraigned in Bombay Town Court and released to appear on February 7, 2012.

AGGRAVATED UNLICENSED OPERATION – The Mohawk Tribal Police arrested Lindsey R. Latray of Gouverneur on December 13, 2011 for aggravated unlicensed operation and tinted windows. Latray was released to appear in Bombay Town Court on January 10, 2012.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT – On December 5, 2011 the Mohawk Tribal Police arrested Charles B. Laffin of Akwesasne, for disorderly conduct after a bar fight at 37 West. Laffin was released on an appearance ticket to appear in Bombay Town Court on January 3, 2012.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT – The Mohawk Tribal Police arrested Odonald B. Laffin of Akwesasne, on December 5, 2011 for disorderly conduct after a bar fight at 37 West. Laffin was released on an appearance ticket to appear in Bombay Town Court on January 3, 2012.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT – On December 17, 2011 the Mohawk Tribal Police arrested Dylan J. David of St. Regis, Quebec for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and criminal mischief 3rd degree during a fight at the Akwesasne American Legion. David was arraigned in Bombay Town Court and remanded to the Franklin County Jail on $1,500 bail or $3,000 bond.

DWI – The Mohawk Tribal Police arrested Ronda A. White of Snye, Quebec on December 16, 2011 for driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 1.8 or higher, failure to use designated lane and unlicensed operator. White was released on Uniform Traffic Tickets (UTT) and will appear in Bombay Town Court on January 10, 2012.

SENTENCING - Rosalie Jacobs, age 62, Hogansburg, New York, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Utica for her role in a conspiracy to structure currency transactions, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. Jacobs was sentenced to five years probation, 12 months of home confinement, and was ordered to forfeit to the United States $2,634,189.55

As part of her plea, Jacobs admitted that she conspired with others to structure a series of cash deposits of U.S. Currency in less than $10,000 increments to avoid federal reporting requirements. During the relevant 13 month period, Jacobs ran a business named Jacobs Tobacco on the Akwesasne Indian Reserve and received payments for tobacco products in U.S. Currency. During the relevant time period, Jacobs was aware that any cash deposit into a domestic financial institution in excess of $10,000 caused the financial institution in question to generate a report of said transaction, called a Currency Transaction Report, pursuant to Title 31, United States Code, Section 5313(a). In an effort to avoid such reporting requirements, Jacobs caused $2,634,189.55 to be deposited in accounts held at two financial institutions: Seacomm Federal Credit Union and Community Bank, both located in Massena, New York, with each deposit being intentionally in an amount less than $10,000. For each transaction, Jacobs or one of her employees packaged the cash in separate bags at Jacobs Tobacco and then gave it to a person, who was instructed to make the deposits in the aforementioned banks. The prosecution of Jacobs was spearheaded by agents from the Internal Revenue Service in

Syracuse, New York.