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US: ATF misplaced 420 million cigarettes in stings
Associated Press ^ | 26 Sep 2013 | unknown

Posted on 09/26/2013 3:45:37 AM PDT by fruser1

WASHINGTON – Government agents acting without authorization conducted dozens of undercover investigations of illegal tobacco sales, misused some of $162 million in profits from the stings and lost track of at least 420 million cigarettes, the Justice Department's inspector general said Wednesday.

In one case, agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sold $15 million in cigarettes and later turned over $4.9 million in profits from the sales to a confidential informant — even though the agency did not properly account for the transaction.

The audit described widespread lack of ATF oversight and inadequate paperwork in the agency's "churning investigations," undercover operations that use proceeds from illicit cigarette sales to pay for the ATF's costs.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: atf; corruption; crimeinc; crimerackette; holder; lootingamerica; removedoj; skimming
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Nice. So, tax the hell out of smokes so illicit trade increases. Then, have an enforcement agent set up stings. Then pocket the cash from your sting.

I'm more and more convinced that the government itself is violating RICO statutes.

Oh, I forgot, the law doesn't apply to the ruling class.

1 posted on 09/26/2013 3:45:37 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: fruser1

Sounds like the crooks at the ATF needed to make some extra cash after selling guns to the Mexican drug cartels. There are so many criminals in our government agencies now that we can’t prosecute them all.


2 posted on 09/26/2013 3:49:23 AM PDT by txrefugee
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To: fruser1

So if I profit from selling un-taxed cigarettes I’m a criminal but if the ATF does that’s a good thing?


3 posted on 09/26/2013 3:53:28 AM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin (If global warming exists I hope it is strong enough to reverse the Big Government snowball)
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To: fruser1
In one case, agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sold $15 million in cigarettes and later turned over $4.9 million in profits from the sales to a confidential informant — even though the agency did not properly account for the transaction.

A tiny example of the corruption and incompetence of the Feds. I can't wait 'til they "fix" the healthcare system.

4 posted on 09/26/2013 3:55:12 AM PDT by Flick Lives (We're going to be just like the old Soviet Union, but with free cell phones!)
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To: fruser1

How much you want to bet they were all Newports?


5 posted on 09/26/2013 3:59:22 AM PDT by beef (Who Killed Kennewick Man?)
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“F Troop”? Naw, they wouldn’t. Yep, Still FUBAR Keystone Fosdicks.


6 posted on 09/26/2013 4:03:24 AM PDT by S.O.S121.500 (Case back hoe for sale or trade for diesel wood chipper....Enforce the Bill of Rights. It's the Law!)
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To: fruser1

I’m not a math major, but 420 million cigarettes is about 2.1 million cartons. What kind of storage facility does one need to hide 2.1 million cartons?


7 posted on 09/26/2013 4:04:12 AM PDT by Artie (We are surrounded by MORONS)
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To: fruser1
And the IRS is “missing” $67 million intended to implement ObamaCare. When Obama took office a Chicago-based criminal cabal took control of the federal government. Beginning with the Stimulus Act I believe billions are being stolen from the taxpayers.
8 posted on 09/26/2013 4:04:15 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee (A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
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To: fruser1

Paging Axel Foley.


9 posted on 09/26/2013 4:05:46 AM PDT by aomagrat (Gun owners who vote for democrats are too stupid to own guns.)
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To: fruser1

Fast and Furious II: Smokey and the Bunglers


10 posted on 09/26/2013 4:12:46 AM PDT by Rocky (Obama is pure evil.)
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To: beef

Kools and Belairs


11 posted on 09/26/2013 4:16:46 AM PDT by CGASMIA68
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To: fruser1

Agent Ness: “Rico, spot me a smoke.”
Agent Rico: “I don’t got any, boss.”
Agent Ness: “Wait a second. We confiscated 420 million of them just last week!”
Agent Rico: “I thought you had them.”


12 posted on 09/26/2013 4:17:51 AM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: All armed conservatives.)
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To: fruser1

....elect a street organizer from Chicago who’s political career is shady at best, add the constant corruption and incompetence of DC to expect things not to lead to crime is foolish. The s*** rolls down from the top, in the current form, it’s being thrown. We all saw it from the very beginning, how he handled and extorted BP (20 BILLION)...to the take over of GM and the thief of investments...if anything it has gotten much worst.


13 posted on 09/26/2013 4:19:56 AM PDT by Doogle (USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: fruser1

Did they look between the cushions of their couch?

(”misplaced” - yeah, right)


14 posted on 09/26/2013 4:20:12 AM PDT by Stosh
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To: fruser1

Lost track of them hell! They sold them!


15 posted on 09/26/2013 4:28:51 AM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINE http://steshaw.org/econohttp://www.fee.org/library/det)
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To: Artie

They aren’t hidden they are gone.

Fast and Furious with cigarettes by the same criminals working there.

It’s ok though I am sure this will be investigated.

Right after hell freezes over.


16 posted on 09/26/2013 4:30:40 AM PDT by Venturer ( cowardice posturing as tolerance =political correctness)
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To: Artie
What kind of storage facility does one need to hide 2.1 million cartons?

You only have to store your wares a little at a time as they come in until you sell them.

17 posted on 09/26/2013 4:30:49 AM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINE http://steshaw.org/econohttp://www.fee.org/library/det)
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To: fruser1

graft corruption

our government stinks at every level


18 posted on 09/26/2013 4:34:39 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: txrefugee
You mean that if we give the government a license to steal then crooks will go into government?

Wow, didn't see that one coming.

< /SARC>

19 posted on 09/26/2013 4:36:15 AM PDT by Aevery_Freeman (Tried to tell 'em Affirmative Action was a bad idea...Now look what happened!)
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To: Artie
I’m not a math major, but 420 million cigarettes is about 2.1 million cartons. What kind of storage facility does one need to hide 2.1 million cartons?

There are 12 cartons to a case. That's 175,000 cases.
Each case is about 2' by 2' by 2.5' (10 cu ft).
Total volume for 175,000 cases would be 1,750,000 cu ft.
The standard 40' intermodal shipping container holds about 2380 cu ft.

Thus you would need at least 735 semis filled to the brim with cigarettes to "misplace" 420 million cigarettes.

That's not a lot of 18-wheelers, is it? That's barely more than 2 per day. We cannot expect one department in our government to not "misplace" 2 whole semis of goods on a daily basis. /sarc>

(Now multiply that times the number of departments in our massive government, and...)

20 posted on 09/26/2013 4:45:07 AM PDT by Teacher317 (Obama is failing faster than I can lower my expectations.)
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