NYS seizes Seneca Nation's cigarettes

IRVING, N.Y. (WIVB) - Tobacco trouble is looming on the reservation. A Seneca business is outraged at the seizure of a cigarette delivery truck by state tax collectors.

Things are heating up between the Seneca Nation and New York State because of taxes. In fact, the owners of A.J. Wholesale are planning to go to court to get their cigarettes back.

The seizure took place Monday morning when a State Tax and Finance agent stopped the truck, which was delivering thousands of cartons of cigarettes between the Cattaraugus and Allegany Reservations. The state claims the cigarettes did not have the proper NYS tax stamp.

The Senecas and the business owner say the smokes were legal and were being distributed to retailers licensed by the Nation. Some believe the seizure is retaliation for the wholesaler's litigation challenging a federal law that makes it illegal to ship cigarettes through the mail. In fact, lawyers were in court Tuesday afternoon on that matter.

There was no decision in court on that matter on Tuesday. As far as the seized cigarettes, the business will be in State Supreme Court Wednesday morning. Seneca Nation President Barry Snyder, Sr. released a statement calling this an act of aggression by NYS.