A Chandler man, Vien Tang, was sentenced to 8 months in prison for Unlawful Importation of Tobacco. His former wife, Lien Tang, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to three years’ probation.
According to the Department of Justice, the Tangs had Vietnamese cigarettes shipped from Vietnam to their home in Chandler from 2014 through May 2018.
Prosecutors alleged that approximately 8,000 cartons of cigarettes, which were concealed in packages designed to look like wrapped gifts, were delivered to the Tang home during the scheme. On a daily basis, Tang sold the smuggled cigarettes for cash out of the back of vehicles in parking lots of businesses in Mesa and Chandler. Tang frequently traveled to Vietnam to arrange for the cigarette shipments, and in his absence, Lien Tang handled daily sales.
The Tangs were ordered to pay more than $275,000 in restitution.