Oklahoma's Seneca-Cayuga Tobacco Company bank account seized

Chuck Craig, general manager of the Seneca-Cayuga Tobacco Co., declined to comment Wednesday on the seizure of tribal tobacco company's funds, citing the advice of attorneys.

The Seneca-Cayuga Tobacco Co. of Grove is one of about 20 companies and individuals from Oklahoma, Missouri, New York, Nebraska, Florida, Washington and Canada that federal prosecutors allege were “subjects” or “persons of interest” in a complex conspiracy to illegally traffic in untaxed cigarettes.

Kansas City prosecutors filed a 101-page court action in June seeking the forfeiture of more than $2.6 million from alleged conspirators, including the $266,704 seized in January from the Seneca-Cayuga Tobacco Co.'s bank account.

Prosecutors also are seeking the forfeiture of a $550,000 airplane and four Peterbilt semi trucks they claim were purchased by nontribal Missouri conspirators with money derived from the illegal sale of untaxed cigarettes.

No criminal charges have yet been filed, but the investigation is continuing, Don Ledford, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Kansas City, said early Wednesday afternoon.

In a late-breaking development, The Associated Press reported Wednesday evening that federal agents had raided the Wolf's Run Trading building on a Seneca Nation reservation in western New York and detained tobacco wholesaler William Parry. Parry and Wolf's Run Transport are among the subjects and persons of interest listed in the Kansas City court document.

While most of the investigation centers on companies and individuals outside Oklahoma, the Seneca-Cayuga Tobacco Co. wasn't the only Oklahoma connection mentioned in the forfeiture action.

Robert Bell of Blanchard “is believed to frequently traffic contraband (untaxed) cigarettes and other tobacco products from Missouri and Kansas to Oklahoma,” prosecutors wrote. “Law enforcement surveillance has observed Bell distributing cigarettes, believed to be trafficked from Missouri, throughout the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.”

Prosecutors said the Kansas State Highway Patrol stopped Bell and his girlfriend, Suzanne Ruby, on Nov. 17 while they were on their way to an undercover warehouse to purchase contraband cigarettes and seized $75,339 in currency, marijuana and a firearm.

A little over two months later, on Jan. 21, the Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped Bell and Ruby while they were on their way to the warehouse to purchase contraband cigarettes and seized an additional $82,601 in currency and a small amount of marijuana, prosecutors said.