Makki has been described in court paperwork as a conduit for contraband cigarettes that were part of the "Charlotte Hezbollah Cell," in which Mohamad Hammoud played a leadership role.[103] A Detroit Free Press article about the case indicated that Makki had smuggled between $38,000 and $72,000 worth of cigarettes to Michigan once a month for two years and personally gave more than $2,000 to the "orphans and martyrs" program of Hezbollah.[104] Makki (see below) actually placed what he called a "resistance tax"[105] on top of his sale of illicit cartons of cigarettes, apparently ensuring customers that the money would be redirected to Hezbollah
Our youth and other vulnerable communities like pregnant women and Hispanic and Black populations are also at risk if this issue continues
For defendants with little to no criminal history, or in relatively minor cases, prosecutors often offer probation, relatively short sentences, or time served. For those who cannot afford bail, this means a choice between fighting their case from jail or taking a conviction and walking out the door
A new series of 13 graphic images are required to be printed on cigarette packages across Canada by Aug
please see photos